


Old Money

by topknot32



Category: Original Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Developing Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Forbidden Love, Love, Major Original Character(s), Millionaire, Older Characters, Older Man/Younger Woman, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, POV Original Character, Rich Character, Rich man - Freeform, Romance, Romance Novel, age gap, original - Freeform, original novel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 54,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topknot32/pseuds/topknot32
Summary: Mia Black is a young bartender at a ritzy gentlemen's club in New York City. The customer base is well beyond 'wealthy' which couldn't be further from Mia's means.She doesn't date, really because she's seen what life is like for a woman who throws herself at anyone who will pay attention to her. Her best friend and roommate Lucy, a red headed flame is the outgoing one, the 'fun' one.Everything changes when Charles Coldwell, a man much older than Mia, walks into the club. Charles is mysterious, obviously rich, and has a serious crush on the dark haired Mia Black. The only problem is he's impossible to get to know.What's he hiding, if anything at all? And what is it about him Mia can't seem to resist?
Relationships: Original Characters - Relationship
Kudos: 8





	1. Chanel No. 5

**Mia**

A frown forms on my lips as I scan over the envelopes I'd pulled from the mailbox downstairs. As I swing open the door to the apartment I share with my roommate, Lucy, I can feel my anxiety rise.

"Lu!" I call out as I kick the door shut behind me. "Lu, did you pay the electric bill last week like you said you were going to?" I continue to flip through the envelopes with angry red writing on them.

 _Past due, late, notice of disconnection, late.._ and so on.

"I'm back here!" I hear my red headed best friend call out from the back of the two bedroom apartment. I toss the stack of paper down on the counter top before setting my purse on the floor and heading back to where I'd heard her voice come from.

"The electric bill, Lucy. Did you pay it?" She rolls her eyes as she peeks her head out of her closet. Her makeup is done over the top, her eyes dark and lips a bright painted red.

"I'm taking care of it."

"You can't try to seduce the guy at the electric company again." She scoffs at me while slipping a pair of stiletto heeled booties onto her feet.

My best friend is beautiful, if not almost annoyingly so. Her red hair, slim build, and bubbly personality are traits I envy. She was gifted with an impressive chest and she uses that to get her way.

"Really, where are you going?" I plop down on her bed and lay on my side, my head resting in my hand as I wait for her to step out of the closet.

"There's a party downtown. Bunch of wealthy business tycoons are suppose to be there. Thought I'd make an appearance, make a little cash."

By 'make a little cash,' Lucy means sell some cocaine, maybe a little heroin if the crowd is right for it. She knows I don't approve and I don't want it in our apartment, but she usually keeps up on her half of the bills so I don't mention it much, anymore.

"You wana come?" She steps out of the closet and I'm blown away by how beautiful she looks. The long sleeve cocktail dress shimmers in the light from the closet. The top layer is sheer with silver lace embroidered all over, the underside is nude. It's tight fitting and hugs her curves in all the right places.

"I wish I could, but I have to work in a few hours." I let out a sigh as I sit from the bed. "Looks expensive." I motion towards the dress as she looks herself over in the full length mirror.

"Don't worry, it's a knockoff." Lucy fluffs her curled red hair and puckers her lips at her own reflection. "Perfect." She spins around to face me. "Sure you don't want to blow off work? We would make more as a team tonight, anyway."

"I can't, or I would." I stand from the bed and look at my own more plain reflection in the mirror in comparison to the knockout redhead standing beside me. With the heels on her feet she's easily four inches taller than me, so we look funny side by side. "Keep your eyes peeled for a hot millionaire for me." I tease while giving her hand a squeeze.

"We're going to be just fine, Mia. I'll make sure of it. No millionaires needed, unless he's hot of course." She giggles.

My mind travels to a scary place where we don't have enough money to keep ourselves afloat and we lose this apartment which is really the only thing we have going for us these days. Lucy is more carefree, so when she sees all of the late notices she thinks positive. They'll get paid, Mia. Everything will work itself out. I can hear her say.

"I'm going to go meet up with Sean." She picks up her clutch, Sean being her 'business partner, and leans down to lift the strewn blankets from her bed to peer underneath where there is a safe. She dials in the code that only she knows, and the door clinks signaling its unlocked. She pops the door open before tucking a few miniature baggies filled with white powder into it.

"Be careful. I won't be off work until after four." My eyes flicker towards the clock on her dresser and see it's nearing eight at night. I have to be at work at ten, so I have two hours to find something to eat and get ready.

"Why don't I just call you when I'm leaving the party? It's not far from your work, I could meet you so you don't have to walk home alone."

"Okay, call me when you leave." She presses a kiss to my cheek before heading out of the room and a few moments later I hear the front door slam.

I wander over to the window overlooking the street and watch her exit the apartment building. She flags down a taxi and I feel better knowing she is safe inside rather than walking out on the streets alone. The neighborhood we live in isn't the safest, and I worry about her with the work she does.

•••

The sound of the live band fills my ears as I swing open the door to Simon, which is the club I work at. The music is soothing, just a few men playing instruments in the corner across from the bar. It's late evening, so the crowd is pretty thick with older men in business suits and women of all ages dressed to impress. It smells like Chanel No. 5 in the entire place, which to me is the scent of desperation.

This place is more like a gentlemen's club than anything, with warm wood floors and accented walls. The furniture is all leather and looks like something out of a magazine. Ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling and cast a golden glow across the patron's faces.

The wealthy Wall Street type spend their evenings here after a long day at the office, and women flock here to mingle with New York City's wealthiest.

I make it over to the bar without bumping in to anyone, and my boss, Jonathan is behind the wood top pouring an Old Fashioned to a man sitting on the opposite side with a thick cigar poised between his first two fingers.

"Evening, Mia." Jonathan greets as he wipes his hands on a towel. "Been pretty busy so far tonight, hope you're rested."

Jonathan flashes me a warm smile and I give him one in return. When it comes to a boss, i really couldn't have asked for a better one. There's no doubt he's an attractive man, but he's a genuinely nice person on top of that. I'd scored big when I'd gotten this job after stepping in just to see if they were hiring one afternoon. Luckily, they were and he had hired me on the spot.

I smooth my hands down over my black, knee length cocktail dress and check myself over in the mirrored wall behind the bar to make sure my hair is in place. Once I've made sure my appearance is up to par with the level of wealth in the room, I turn to the people sitting in front of me, taking drink orders with a prize winning smile.

•••

"Scotch, neat." I hear from behind me as I face the rows of liquor bottles looking for one in particular. The voice is deep, rough, and when I turn to look at the person who had spoken them, I'm face to face with an older gentlemen. Late forty's, maybe with just a hint of stubble on his jaw.

It's not his voice that throws me, it's the intense grey stare that's unwavering as I spin around to acknowledge his presence since he must have just sat down.

"Sure." I pull out an old fashioned glass from beneath the bar and turn back to the wall of options to pull out a top shelf bottle of amber liquid. I pour the WhistlePig, our special scotch for the month, and place the glass in front of the man.

"Thanks." He mumbles out before shooting back some of the drink. I take that moment to admire the Rolex watch on his wrist and the expensive grey suit he's wearing. I'm accustomed to the incredibly rich, I spend my nights with them here at Simon, but I like that this man is a little more subtle than the rest.

"Can I get you anything else?" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a leather wallet and produces a stack of cash looking neat like it just came from the ATM.

"Ill pay you to have a conversation with me." He slides the money across the wood bar top and I'm taken by surprise as I eye it. There has to be a few thousand dollars there.

"Excuse me?" There's confusion in my voice as he turns his head to look over his shoulder before looking back at me.

"See that woman over there?" He tries to be inconspicuous as he points the way he has just been looking. I see a bright blonde haired woman, probably in her thirties in a bright red dress that hugs her body tight. The neckline is plunging and leaves little to the imagination.

I raise an eyebrow at the man as a smirk pulls at the corners of my lips.

"What's the problem?" I tease as something one of the men she's speaking with says something funny and she tosses her head back in a fit of giggles.

"Hell, what's not the problem?" His voice is rough and raw and something about the look on his face makes me take a step closer to the bar. "Came here for drinks with an associate. Wound up having my ear chatted off by the loudest breather in all of New York City." He rolls his eyes and takes another drink of his scotch. "Not to mention I think she's wearing every type of perfume from Barney's combined."

I reach out and place my hand over the stack of cash to push it back across the bar towards him.

"I can't take this, but-" I pull out a second glass and pour more of the WhistlePig before sliding it across to him as he finishes his first. "You don't need to pay me for conversation, I'm a bartender. It's practically in my job description." I tease. Even though he's old enough to be my father, something about his stubbled jawline and hazel grey eyes has me curious.

"What's your name?" I smooth out my dress and lean against the bar top, my hands clasped in front of me.

"Mia."

"Charles Coldwell." He holds out a hand for me to shake and I'm surprised by their rough texture. Most of the men that pass through here are clean shaven with hands as soft as a woman's, but not this one.

"Well, Charles I need to get back work, but I'll be right here if your 'friend' tries to catch your attention." I give him a warm smile and he flashes me a wink with a nod as I make my way to the other end of the bar to take orders, but I can't help but notice his eyes on me as I pour drinks and clean the bar as the night goes on.


	2. Four AM

**MIA**

"Are you from the city?" Charles asks as I pour a drink for the man beside him. I'd rolled my eyes to myself when the thin man with thick black rimmed glasses had ordered a martini. Charles had found that amusing and tried to hide his chuckle. You can tell a lot by a person's drink order.

"Just outside, actually. A small suburb. I moved here a few years ago with my friend Lucy." Charles toys with the half empty glass between his hands. He had refused my offer for a third drink, instead he's babied the second for the last thirty minutes.

"And how is the great city of New York treating you, Mia?" The sound of his rough voice speaking my name feels foreign. He seems genuinely entertained by me, and I couldn't tell you why.

The men who come here pay thousands a month just to be able to step through the door of this club. They don't have time for bartenders or conversations with their waitress. They want their drinks neat, on the rocks, or dry and that's as far as getting to know them goes.

As I hold his gaze in thought, bills and stress come to mind but I push the negative to the back and smile.

"It's exciting. Not what I expected, but I've enjoyed every minute of it."

My response is not a total fabrication of the truth. Had I had my hopes too high when Lucy and I packed up our bags and moved here? Probably. But that didn't change how much I loved walking down the street and never seeing the same face, or the way the city really never did sleep. You could do anything, anytime and that might be the best part of it all. It's freeing.

"What do you miss the most about home?" He leans forward and rests his elbow on the bar before raising his glass to his lips and finishes the rest of his scotch, all while keeping his gaze locked on me. Something stirs in the pit of my stomach at that look, butterflies?

A blush creeps up my neck to my cheeks when I realize I've been caught admiring his bone structure and the warm laugh lines around the corners of his eyes.

"Your eyes sparkle when you're nervous." His voice is low enough so the gentleman to his left can't hear and I bite my bottom lip. "It's.. rather adorable." His comment sends me reeling and I'm not sure how to respond, so I thank him and turn around to face away, busying myself with putting the bottles back in the rightful position on the shelf. "So?" He asks after a few moments of silence. I glance down at his left hand to see that there's no band there to indicate that he's married, but I guess that means nothing when it could easily be slipped off for a night out. A man as good looking and obviously wealthy would have to have been snatched up long ago.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" I ask trying to remember what we had been talking about before he threw me for a loop. His compliment was so subtle, most guys my own age just come right out and say what they are thinking. It's usually more forward than I appreciate, but I guess that's just the way things are now.

"What do you miss about home?" I ponder his question as my gaze flickers out the front window of the club where there's a steady stream of people walking in every direction. The cars are backed up in traffic, barely moving.

"Driving." My voice is barely audible over the chatter of the people around us, but I know he hears me by the way his eyebrows raise in interest.

"Driving. That's what you miss the most?"

"Excuse me, can I get a drink sometime tonight?" A voice booms to my right and I look up in surprise, having forgotten to check on the people who had just walked up. My lighthearted mood fades as I realize I'm probably going to be yelled at the minute I walk down there to take their order.

"As soon as I'm done ordering mine." Charles speaks to the man.

"Yeah, well she's been taking your order for fifteen minutes. The rest of us would like to be served, too you know." Charles goes to say something else but I raise my hand.

"Thank you, it's okay." I step away and scribble down Mr. Angry's order all the while feeling a pair of hazel grey eyes on me.

•••

"Go take a break." Jonathan tells me as he steps around the bar to take over for me. "You doing okay? You seem distracted." I smile up at the taller man and nod.

"Of course."

"Go get something to eat." I reach down for my purse under the bar and step around the wood top to head for the exit. The last hour Charles has spent mingling with a few people he knows at the other side of the club, and I'd assumed his interest was merely because he was trying to ward off the woman in the red dress but she had left shortly after I'd been pulled away.

My heels click on the floor as I make my way to the front door, but before I can lift my hand, someone reaches from behind me to push it open.

"Ladies first." I hear him speak from just over my shoulder and I turn my head to see Charles standing just beside me. He presses a hand to the small of my back to guide me out the door onto the busy street full of rich looking men and scantily clad women. The New York City after dark special.

"I'm just going to get something to eat." His eyes scan the street before turning to me. "You'd have more fun back there." I point towards Simon.

"We never finished our conversation." He points to a coffee shop on the corner. "You won't take my money for conversation," he teases. "Am I allowed to buy you a coffee and a late dinner?"

I scan his face over, looking for any ill intentions but there are none. His expression is pure interest, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. He may be twice my age, but there's no denying he's a handsome man and by the way his suit hugs his arms and chest, I can only imagine that he keeps himself in great shape.

"If you insist." He resumes his position with his hand on my waist as he guides me across the street and down the sidewalk to the little cafe nestled between a pizza parlor and a Thai restaurant. The doorbell overhead dings, and you would never know that it's nearing two in the morning by the way everything is business as usual inside.

"Let's sit by the window." Charles leads me over to a table away from the crowd and is sure to pull out my chair before he takes his own seat.

"You are a gentleman, that's for sure." I set my purse on the table and clasp my hands together in my lap.

"No one opens the door and pulls out your seat for you where you're from?" There's a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as the waitress comes over with a pad of paper. "Two coffees, one black. One with-" he looks to me.

"Cream and two sugars." She scribbles it down just as my stomach starts growling. "Could I also get a tomato and mozzarella panini, please?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Her eyes are kind and she hurries off to put our orders in. When I look up at Charles, he has that same look of interest written all over his face that he's had all night. I can feel myself blushing again under his intense stare and I look down at my hands.

"You shouldn't hide your face." He reaches across the table and in a bold move that takes me by surprise, he lifts my chin so I'm looking up once more. I reach up and clasp his hand in my own before pulling his down to rest on the table. When the bolt of electricity shoots up my arm from the contact, I release his hand and pull mine back.

"Sorry." I whisper out as the waitress comes back over with two steaming mugs.

"I'll be back with your food as soon as it's ready." I thank her as she walks away once more.

"Are you nervous?" I bite my bottom lip as he leans back to slip his arms out of the suit jacket. He stands from the chair to drape it over the back and he's left in a white button down dress shirt. I don't know how to respond to his question, so I just hold his gaze as he sits back down. "I'm the same guy you were talking to inside Simon an hour ago." He shrugs his shoulders.

"I guess I didn't think you'd be taking me for coffee, then."

"So you thought I was asking about your life just to get extra drinks?" His tone is lighthearted as he grins. "Come on, you're more intelligent than that." He shakes his head as if what I've said is amusing.

"You clearly are on a very different social level, so I'm not sure what the appeal is here." My response is honest and the teasing grin fades from his face. He clears his throat and rests his elbows on the table. That same intense stare causes butterflies to attack my stomach. "I'm a bartender, and you're, well I don't know what you are."

"I'm in real estate, commercial mainly. I inherited the business." His tone is flippant. 

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I didn't bring you here to talk about me. I want to know about you."

"What do you want to know? I'm not that interesting."

"Your hopes, dreams, interests. Anything." I think over his question for a moment before answering.

"I'm twenty-five, I live not far from here in a tiny apartment with my best friend, I like old music, nature, and Corona with lime." He's quiet for a moment before he rolls his eyes and let's out a chuckle.

"You don't make it easy." He mumbles out. Charles looks away out the window and back at me, but for the first time since we met he's the one who seems nervous.

"What's wrong?" Our waitress comes back over and sets the panini down in front of me and my stomach growls when I smell it, but my focus is on the man in front of me who seems to have something on his mind.

"You are just so fucking beautiful." He rubs a hand over his face and stares back out the window. My mouth opens but no words come out. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so forward."

"No, it's okay. I'm the one who is sorry. I don't know how to interact with other humans, I guess." I joke as a nervous laugh leaves my throat.

"How long do I have you before you have to go back?" I check the time in my cell phone.

"About fifteen more minutes." He lets out a sigh.

"Not enough time." I raise an eyebrow at him before taking a few bites of my food.

"Time for what?"

"I wanted to show you something." I think over my options before responding.

"Feeling tired?" I brush my hair back over my shoulder while taking another bite.

"Not really, why?"

I've never been a very daring person. I keep to the straight and narrow but something about Charles has me wanting to break all of the rules. As I watch him watch me, I can't help but wonder what it'd feel like to run my hand over his stubbled cheek or how his rough hands would feel on the skin of my waist.

"Because I'm off at four." He pauses for a moment before answering.

"Four it is."


	3. Eleanor

**MIA**

"What you're telling me is you're leaving work with a strange older man you met tonight?" Lucy asks from the other end of the phone.

"Well, I don't thinking I'm leaving with him necessarily. He just said he has something he wants to show me." I look myself over in the mirror of the staff bathroom and run a finger over my lipstick.

"That doesn't sound ominous or anything. You text me every few minutes so I know you're not being kidnapped, got it?"

"Yes, mother." I roll my eyes and pull the phone from my ear to check the time. "I've got to go, I just wanted to let you know you don't have to meet me when you leave the party."

"Be careful. You're all I've got in this world." I can hear the smile in her voice as she says the same thing she always does when we are spending our evenings apart. We say our goodbyes and I exit the bathroom to make my way across the club and back to the bar where Charles has taken up residence once more

"You want anything to drink?" I ask him as I pour myself a glass of water.

"Same as you would be fine." I pour a second glass and slide it across the bar to him. He pulls out a cigar and lights it before exhaling a puff of smoke. "Don't worry about me. Tend to the others, I'll let you know if I need something." He flashes me a wink and those same butterflies from before make themselves known in the pit of my stomach.

•••

As the crowd winds down and Jonathan starts closing up the bar, I turn to see if there's anything else he needs from me. Some part of me hopes he needs help, because I'm afraid of what's to come with Charles who has moved to the sidewalk outside the club as everyone else started to leave. I watch him speaking to someone on his cell phone as I talk to my boss.

"No, Mia. You can go, I've got this." I hesitate for a moment before accepting his answer and reaching for my purse. My stomach does a flip flop as I second guess the man waiting for me outside but I think over my options.

I could go home to an empty apartment, watch a movie and go to sleep and have nothing eventful happen. Or, I could take a chance and something extraordinary could happen. Something new and exciting that I've never experienced before.

Without allowing myself another second to overthink, I push my way out the front door onto the street. Charles turns his attention to me and mumbles a few words before hanging up the phone. His movements are swift as he walks over to me.

"Ready?" He asks as he sticks one of his hands in his pockets.

"If you are." He takes a second to look me over.

"Cold?" He motions towards the suit jacket draped over one arm he never put back on after we left the coffee shop. "It's a little bit of a walk." The late summer breeze ruffles my hair and I relish the feeling.

"I'm okay, thank you though."

I follow his lead as we walk down the New York City streets. The conversation is light and flows much better than it had at the coffee shop. I've relaxed some around him now that we've spent almost the entire night together.

"So what is it you want to show me?" I ask after we've walked in silence for a few minutes.

"It's nothing crazy, don't worry."

There's a smile pulling at the corners of his lips and his pace slows as we reach the corner of the street. He stops and looks at me and I raise an eyebrow in confusion. He digs in his pocket and I hear the jingle of car keys. He pulls them out and hits a button and the lights of a car just a little further down start blinking.

"You said you missed driving the most." His tone is low but there's a sparkle in his eyes that makes him seem so much more attractive standing in the light from the lamps. He leads me a little further and I take in what I was not expecting to see. His car is not the usual Maserati, BMW, or Mercedes that every wealthy Wall Strest guy has.

"Eleanor." My voice comes out as a whisper as I run my hand over the sleek body. My touch is delicate, it's a collectors item after all.

"You know what this is?" There's surprise in his voice.

"1967 Ford Mustang, code named Eleanor among movie buffs such as myself." A grin forms on my lips as my fingers glide along the body. "Shelby GT500. 355 horsepower. Mint condition like this," I motion towards the car with wonder in my eyes. "Baseline price would be a hundred and fifty grand, easy."

I'm silent for a moment as I think back to my childhood. My father taught me how to drive in a Mustang, not nearly this nice of course. Or fast.

"My father dreamed of having this car."

Charles takes a step closer to me and reaches a hand up to brush a stray hair behind my ear. My eyes close for just a second at the feel of his calloused fingertips on my skin.

"Where's your Ferrari, Mr. Millionaire?" I tease as I turn my attention back to the slate grey car before me.

I'm taken off guard, a silly smile still on my face from the joke, when I feel a rough grip on my wrist and I'm dragged into Charles' chest, his other hand reaches up to grab my chin before he presses his lips to mine. The kiss is softer than his approach and short. I barely even have time to register what is happening before it's over. I'm left stunned as he pulls himself away from me entirely, and turns away.

The street is quiet and there's only a few cars that pass by every few minutes, and I'm not sure what to say to break the silence.

"I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry." He peers over at me and he almost looks guilty. "You're so young and I'm—"

"Hey, wait." I take a step forward and take his upper arm in my hand to turn him around. He keeps his hands in his pockets and his gaze stays trained over the top of my head. For the second time since I met him, he's the one who looks like he feels out of place. The over the top confidence has faltered, and I almost feel guilty. 

So I do what I do best, I act instead of speak because I never really can find the right words. I cup his face in my hands and lean up on my tip toes to reach up and press a kiss to his lips. He stays frozen against me and for a second I feel like I've made a mistake, maybe I've completely misinterpreted this entire situation, but as I start to pull away he pulls his hands from his pockets and locks them around my waist.

Charles pushes me backwards against his car with the pristine restored paint job, and all thoughts of not leaving a scratch are out the window. The kiss is rough, rushed, and my mind turns foggy when his tongue traces along my bottom lip.

He pulls away to catch his breath, his body still flush against mine and my lips burn from the intensity of the kiss. There's a small smudge of lipstick on the corner of his mouth and I reach up with my thumb to brush it away. He catches my hand before I can pull it away and he presses a kiss to my fingers before releasing me.

"I just wanted to take you for a drive. It's a favorite thing of mine, too." His voice is low but it still sends a chill down my spine. "You started talking about cars like you know them and—" He pauses and reaches a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "And like I said before, you're so beautiful."

"So how about that drive?" I whisper out, my mind still in the clouds from the kiss. Charles doesn't say a words, he just walks over to the passenger side and opens the door while waiting on me.

•••

Charles rolls the windows down halfway but makes sure to keep the heat on our feet since there's a chill to the air. The wind whips through my hair as we travel the quiet streets and goosebumps raise on my skin. The vibrations of the motor can be felt through the seats and it's like a comfortable hum that could lull me to sleep if I closed my eyes.

The interior of the car smells like clean leather, cigars, and Hugo Boss cologne. The whole thing wrapped into one was like a blanket of comfort the moment I sat down in the seat. We drive in silence and it's no longer awkward like before. Charles drapes one arm over the steering wheel and the other rests on the gear shift.

I run my hands up and down the exposed skin of my arms, and Charles notices.

"You can roll up your window." He tells me while motioning towards the goosebumps on my arms. His fingertips brush over my forearm before resuming their position on the shifter.

"It's okay, I like the breeze." He reaches into the backseat and drags his suit jacket up into my lap where he drapes it over me with his free hand. The scent of his cologne is even stronger on the jacket and it fills my nostrils which causes me to smile. "I like this, too." My voice is quiet as I situate the jacket so it's covering my exposed arms.

"The jacket?"

"Your cologne." He smiles. "When I first moved to the city, giving up my car was the hardest part." I gaze out the window at the passing trees and businesses. "When I was younger my friends and I would drive for hours just listening to music and enjoying being together." He listens in silence and I barely notice when he reaches over and rests his hand on my thigh. "It's such a simple thing, most probably wouldn't even care, but it was a sad day."

Charles moves his hand to downshift at a stop light, but rests it back on my leg as we wait for it to turn green.

"You want to drive?" He motions towards the steering wheel with a playful glimmer in his eyes.

"I never mastered the art that is a manual transmission. My father never got a chance to really teach me."

"I'll teach you." I look up at him in surprise.

"You are not teaching me to drive stick in a two hundred thousand dollar collectors item." I deadpan. "I'd wreck your clutch, I couldn't live with myself."

"So I'll teach you in my Ferrari." He teases while giving my leg a squeeze before shifting into first when the light changes.

"I'd rather mess up an import than this." A chuckle leaves his chest as he watches the road.

"Tired?" He glances over and my eyes are heavy, but everything about this feels so right I don't want to tell him the truth. I cuddle into his jacket and nod my head in defeat, knowing there's no denying it. "I'll take you home, where do you live?" My heart sinks and suddenly I'm not so comfortable as I realize this perfect specimen of a human is going to have to see where I live.

"Not far. You can let me out here, I can walk." I slip the jacket off and sit up straight while reaching for my purse. The car doesn't slow and I look up at him confused.

"Where do you live?" He raises an eyebrow at me and his expression tells me I'm not going to get my way.

"Listen, if someone tries to steal the wheels off your car in the ten seconds it takes you to drop me off, you have no one to blame but yourself." I roll my eyes and laugh at his unamused expression. "You were warned."

When we pull up to my apartment building I inspect his face for any sign of judgement but there is none. The block is empty which is unusual for this part of town, but when I look down it's nearing five thirty and I realize we've been driving around for almost two hours.

"No wonder I'm tired, I didn't realize what time it was." I motion towards the clock.

"Would you like me to walk you up?" He starts to open his car door but I grab his arm once more to stop him.

"I wasn't kidding about the tires thing. You shouldn't leave it unattended." I swing open my own door and he stands from his as I come around to his side. "Thank you for a really nice time." I whisper out but my eyes don't meet his. "I'm glad I got in a car with a stranger, it was fun."

Charles doesn't respond, instead he reaches out and takes my chin in his once more to press a kiss to my my lips. With the drivers side door between us, he kisses me hard enough to make my brain shut off once more. His fingertips brush along the sensitive skin of my neck and I shiver against him as I turn my head to the side to sweep my hair out of the way.

He steps around the door and slams it shut before taking my waist in his hands. I'm pulled flush against him with nothing standing in the way, and he steps back so his back is against the car. His fingertips grip my waist as his lips find mine again, and I slip my arms around his neck.

The feel of his hands wandering from my waist to my ass and squeezing causes a want to settle between my legs but I try to push those thoughts away. I pull back from the kiss enough to move my lips across his jaw to his neck where I suck the sensitive skin between my teeth. I can hear him suck in a sharp breath as his fingers bruise my hips and he shifts his hips against mine.

One of his hands runs up and laces through my hair and he grips it at the base of my neck and pulls me back. The motion is rough, and I can see the tension in his eyes as he holds me by the hair, his lips close enough to kiss if I could just move a little. His grip is firm and his eyes stay locked on me as he closes the gap. His hand releases me, but when he takes my hips again its to push me backwards so there's some space between us.

"We have to stop." I take a step towards him but he holds up a hand, slightly out of breath and looking a little disheveled. "Don't." I can't tell by his tone whether or not I've done something wrong, even though in the back of my mind my conscious is telling me all of this is wrong.

"Did I upset you?" There's a tug in my chest as I watch him work through something inside his head.

"You didn't do anything, but if you kiss me like that again—" He stops and looks me over, his eyes lingering on my legs. I wait for him to say something else but it's apparent he's not going to finish his statement. I hold his jacket out for him to take but he shakes his head. "Keep it. Go inside, get some sleep."

"Drive safe." I give him one last look over my shoulder as I walk into the building and my stomach continues to do somersaults even after I've showered and laid down in bed, the jacket he'd told me to keep wrapped up in my arms and the smell of his cologne soothing me to sleep.


	4. Cold Shoulder

**MIA**

By the time I finally pry my eyes open, the sun is shining full force into my bedroom window, so I drag the blankets up over my head. A groan leaves my lips as I realize I have to work earlier than last night and I peek my head out just long enough to glimpse the clock. It's nearing three in the afternoon, and I have to be at Simon by six. Getting in so late has left my body feeling drained, and all I want is to fall back asleep.

I give up hope of getting any more rest and stretch my arms out over my head while letting out a yawn. As I turn over on my side, I see the jacket I'd fallen asleep with tucked beside my pillow, and a smile forms at my lips at the thought of the previous night.

The peace and quiet is interrupted by Lucy storming in the room, a jar of peanut butter in one hand and a spoon in the other. She's dressed in a pair of oversized grey sweatpants and a tight fitting black tank top. Her bright red hair is thrown up in a messy bun and the remnants of lasts nights makeup stain her under eyes. She, too looks like she just rolled out of bed.

"What the hell did you get into last night?" There's a grin pulling at her lips as she comes over and plops down on the bed, crossing her legs Indian style before popping a spoonful of Jiff in her mouth. Before I can speak she snatches the grey suit jacket up off the bed and examines it.

"Expensive, this belong to the guy you were with?"

"His name is Charles." A blush creeps up my neck. "And yes, it's his."

"I didn't even need to find a millionaire for you, you found one yourself." She teases. "Impressive."

"I don't know that he's even that wealthy." I roll my eyes at her.

"If he hangs out at Simon in his free time, he's making at least seven figures." She brushes her hair back off her shoulder and eats another spoonful.

"Speaking of money," I stand from the bed and stretch my arms up over my head. "Make any last night?"

"Few hundred, the party was lame." She sets the jar and spoon on the ground and lays down on her stomach, her legs crossed at the ankles. "Don't try to change the subject. Are you seeing him again?"

Thoughts of Charles swim to the front of my mind and it's only now after she's asked me that I realize we never exchanged any kind of contact information. All I know is his name and that he's a member of Simon. He on the other hand, has the upper hand. He knows where I work and where I live, and the only detail I know for sure is that he's in real estate.

"I don't know to be honest." She lets out a sigh.

"You can't let him get away, not if he's as attractive as you say he is." A smirk pulls at her lips. "I never thought you were the sugar daddy type, but I'm happily surprised."

"You're so annoying. That's not what this is. We didn't even exchange phone numbers. He may never even want to see me again." She leans over and picks up the suit jacket.

"This? This means he wants to see you again." I reach out and snatch it away from her.

"How do you know?" She stands from the bed and comes over to me. Her hand reaches out to squeeze my hand as she passes to head for the door.

"I know men, Mia. Rich, poor, old, or young. They're all the same." She pauses before disappearing. "And that one wants a piece of you."

•••

"You're late." Jonathan scolds as I rush behind the bar, a little out of breath from trying to get here as fast as I could. I had spent the last thirty minutes searching everywhere for my phone, but couldn't seem to find it. I'd given up hope and walked here without it, even though I probably shouldn't have.

"I'm so sorry. I've had the worst afternoon." I key in the few numbers to clock in on the order screen, and try to brush my hair out of my face so I look somewhat presentable. I'm sure I look a little worse for wear after almost having to run here, and I'm not even sure my makeup is complete.

As I'm looking over my appearance in the mirrored wall behind the bar, my eyes catch the grey stare of someone very familiar.

I spin around and see Charles sitting in the same spot as last night, but this time there's no drink in his hands. My eyes flicker from his face to the bar top where my phone sits between his hands.

"I tried to get your attention, but you had a one track mind when you came in." I take in a deep breath before letting it out, trying to slow my heart from the chaos of getting here.

"Where did you find it?" There's excitement in my voice as I snatch the electronic device up and tuck it into my purse.

"It must have fallen between the seats of my car, I found it this morning when it started ringing."

"You're a lifesaver." I scan his face over once I've caught my breath and there's not much there to read. Last night he'd smiled at our conversations and his eyes sparkled after he kissed me, but now it's as if we are merely acquaintances once more. There's a long pause between the two of us and he looks me up and down. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I can't stay."

"Oh, well.. thank you again. For finding my phone and returning it." My eyes shift from his face to the bar top and I reach out to fiddle with the lid of the ice box just to give myself something to do. From my peripheral vision I can see Charles stand from his seat.

"Good to see you again, Mia." I nod my head, unsure of what to say as I watch him walk out the front door, only receiving a quick glance back in my direction. My stubborness gets the best of me as I call out for Jonathan to man the bar and I quickly make my way across the club and out the oversized mahogany doors.

I'm submerged into the early evening crowd of dinner goers and day drinkers and my eyes survey the crowd for one face in particular.

"Charles, wait" I call out when I see him slipping a key into the door of his Mustang parked just a little ways away from Simon's entrance. His head pops up to see where his name is being called from, and when his eyes land on me he pulls the key out and stands up straight.

I try to make my way through the groups of people without bumping into anyone and when I reach him I'm not so sure what to say.

"Did I do something to upset you?" It's the first thing to come to mind as I watch his expression for any sign as to how he's feeling.

"No, Mia. Of course not." He sticks his hands in his pockets and that same unwavering stare makes me shift on my feet. I've never been in this place before and I've never felt such a mix of emotions. Part of my brain is telling me to let this go, there's no future with a man twice my own age. Another part is crying out to feel the same electricity I felt the moment he kissed me the first time.

"Then why the cold shoulder?" He reaches out and takes my hand. It's the first sign of life in him I've seen today, and he brushes his thumb against the top of my hand before dragging me closer.

"You are a vibrant woman, there's no doubt in my mind about that." He brushes a piece of hair behind my ear as he watches me intently. "I was reminded today when your phone was ringing, by the photo on the screen of you and a redhead, that you are so young and carefree."

The picture he's telling me about is a candid photo of Lucy and myself when we were out one night. We are sitting in a booth at a club not far from here, wine glasses held high in both of our free hands. I hadn't even known Sean took the picture until he sent it to me the next day, but in it Lucy and I are both laughing, her head resting on my shoulder with one of my arms slung over her shoulders. I'd made it my lock screen months ago.

I'm not sure if he's insinuating he thinks I'm less mature because of the photo that we were obviously less than sober in, or that he thinks because he's older I couldn't be interested.

I glance over my shoulder at the club, knowing that Jonathan is going to give me a stern talking to when I return, but there's something about Charles that keeps my feet planted on the sidewalk.

Without questioning it or thinking of the consequences, I take a step forward and press my lips to his. His hand releases mine and travels up my arm to my neck causing goosebumps to appear on my skin. He caresses my chin with his calloused fingertips and I slip my own hand around his waist. I just want to feel that bolt of electricity, the butterflies in my stomach, one more time.

When he pulls away he rests his forehead against mine and I can feel the heat in my cheeks without him even pointing it out.

"And then you go and do something like that." He mumbles out without breaking contact.

"So will I see you again?" He brushes his thumb against my bottom lip and let's out a sigh.

"There's something about you, you know?" He presses another kiss to my lips, this time using both of his hands to caress my neck and I accept without hesitance, my mouth moving against his as I brush my tongue against his bottom lip.

One of the best things about New York? Even when you're surrounded by other people, no one cares what the other is doing and I feel no shame as the kiss continues and I rest my hands on his firm chest underneath his suit jacket. He pushes me back to make some space between us much like last night and there's a look in his eyes that I can't place. A smirk pulls at the corners of my mouth and I brush my own fingers against my lips, trying to savor the feeling. Charles runs his hands over his head and let's out a short laugh.

"Dinner tomorrow night, what do you think?" I toy with the idea of sitting down at a fancy restaurant in an over the top expensive dress and I know I can't live up to that fantasy, so I tilt my head to the side with a playful glimmer in my eyes.

"Nope." I pop the 'p' as his eyes turn dark. He takes a step back towards me and slips his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

"What do you mean, 'nope?'" I can tell it drives him crazy to not get his way.

"Breakfast tomorrow morning, my choice." When his grip tightens around me I know he approves of my answer and he places a kiss to my forehead before releasing me.

Charles glances around at all of the people passing by and then back at me. His gaze flickers from my eyes to my lips and back up.

"I want to kiss you where there aren't a thousand prying eyes."

"You mean the street doesn't suit your needs?" I tease as I realize every kiss we've shared has been on display for the world to see.

"Not when I think of all the places I want to kiss you." He reaches a hand out and slips it through the belt loop of my black high waisted jeans. He eyes my cleavage and a dark look creeps onto his face. "And I do mean the location on your body."

My stomach does a flip and my brain goes cloudy at the seductive tone of his voice and I suck in a deep breath without a response to his statement.

"You can't say things like that." I whisper out, my voice anything but confident.

"You're right, I apologize." He pulls his keys out of his pocket for the second time and flashes me a smile. "I'll pick you up in the morning. Call me when you wake up." He leans down to kiss my cheek before reaching for the door handle of his car.

"But I don't have your number." He grins and points back towards the club.

"Check your contact list. Have a good night at work, Mia."


	5. Surprise

**MIA**

The next morning the apartment is quiet, almost too quiet and that leads me to believe Lucy had stayed out with only god knows who. I'd gotten off work at midnight for the first time in a while I wake up feeling rested. The clock by the bed says seven fifteen, and I turn on my side to reach for my phone.

My stomach does the all too familiar flip flop as I think back to the breakfast date Charles had agreed upon yesterday afternoon. I start to scroll through my contact list to see what name he could've put his number under. Charles, nothing. Mr. Coldwell, nope. I continue scrolling and bite my bottom lip to hold back a smile as my finger stops scrolling.

_Mr. Millionaire_

Beside it there's a silly dollar sign emoji, and I'm reminded of the first night we met when we were standing outside his car.

_"Where's your Ferrari, Mr. Millionaire?"_

I click the call button and lay on my side facing away from the door towards the window as the early morning glow shines in.

 _"Good morning, gorgeous. I see you figured out my contact name._ " I can hear a smile in his voice and it seems like he's been up much longer than the three and a half minutes my eyes have been open. I rub one hand over my face before answering.

"Good morning, you're very funny, Mr. Millionaire." I tease, my voice thick with sleep as I try to let out a silent yawn.

 _"You sound like you just woke up. Did you get enough sleep?"_ there's concern in his question and a warmth spreads across my chest.

"I'm still in bed, so I haven't decided yet." He's silent for a moment.

_"I'll leave my thoughts to myself on that one."_

"Still on for breakfast?" I try to change the subject to something a little more light and it works.

_"Of course. I was just doing some work at the office while I waited for your call."_

"You're at work right now?" I let out a groan as I sit up in bed, now knowing I've been keeping him waiting.

_"Since about six."_

"You're more of a morning person than me. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, I can be ready in twenty minutes." My legs get caught up in the bedsheets and I almost go flying onto the ground, but I catch myself and shuffle out into the hallway where the bathroom Lucy and I share is.

 _"You don't have to rush on my account, sweetheart._ " I pause to soak in the pet name and almost instantly feel stupid. Who am I? A teenage girl gushing over her crush?

"I'm just going to take a quick shower, how does forty-five minutes sound?"

_"Sounds perfect. I'll see you in a bit."_

A half hour later I'm finishing up my hair. I'd gone for a simple wavy look and decided against make up since it's still early in the morning. I look over my complexion, making sure I won't regret my choice and opt for a clear lip gloss and one swipe of mascara per eye.

My outfit is simple, just a white patterned sundress that reaches mid thigh and a jean jacket. I slip my feet into a pair of suede booties and look myself over one last time in the full length mirror. Butterflies start to spin around in my stomach and I do my best to calm my nerves. I shake my hands down at my sides to try and alleviate some of the tension, but it refuses to be ignored.

Something has taken root inside of me when I think about Charles. His rough hands, deep voice that sends a chill down my spine, and breath taking kisses have my mind spinning and part of me wants to just jump on him the moment I see him, but I have to reign in those thoughts before they are out of control.

When the time on the clock starts ticking down, I reach for my purse and decide to wait for him downstairs. I wouldn't want him coming up to see the inside of the apartment, I don't think I could handle the shame.

There's a cool breeze signaling the end of summer is near, and I cross my arms over my chest and start to rethink the dress I'm wearing, but before I have a chance to think about changing, the sound of a rumbling engine catches my attention. An unconscious smile forms on my lips as I step closer to the curb and I'm greeted by the site of the slate grey Ford Mustang. The dark tinted windows keep me from seeing the man inside until the car comes to a stop.

"You didn't have to wait outside, I could have come up." He tells me as he steps from the drivers side and places a kiss to my cheek while slipping an arm around my waist to guide me around to the passengers side. He's dressed in a simple pale blue button down that makes his grey eyes pop and a pair of khaki dress pants. The button down accentuates his muscular upper body and I have to drag my eyes away to meet his gaze.

"It's okay. I didn't mind waiting."

Charles seems to be in a much better mood than he was when I saw him last, and the nervousness I was feeling minutes ago seems to have evaporated entirely. I take my spot in the passenger seat and the leather envelopes me in a soft hug, the all too familiar scent of Hugo Boss fills my nostrils. When he slips back into the drivers seat he turns to me with a playful glimmer in his eyes.

"Where to?"

There's a war going on inside my mind as I sit beside him, my brain ping pongs back and forth between right and wrong and I clasp my hands together tightly to keep from saying something stupid. When I don't answer he reaches over and squeezes my bare thigh.

"What's wrong?" His voice is low and there's concern written all over his face, but the feel of his hand on my skin does little to ease my thoughts.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong." I tell him while forcing a smile. He rolls his eyes and removes his hand to put the car in drive just long enough to park in an actual parking spot. Once the car has been taken out of gear he turns in his seat to eye me once more.

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's on your mind. I can see it all over your face."

"I promise, nothing is wrong." My voice is a little more convincing this time and he's silent.

"Then what's going on inside that mind?" He slips a hand through mine and laces our fingers together. He looks down at our intertwined fingers then back up to me. "Are you rethinking this?" He squeezes my hand. My gaze snaps up to his as I shake my head no.

"Not at all, no." I can see his patience thinning when I refuse to give him a real answer.

"Then what is it, Mia?"

I pull my hand from his without even thinking and lean over to take him by the back of the neck. Our lips are connected in a second and I can tell he wasn't expecting this by the way it takes him a moment to react. I lean my upper body over the gear shift as he leans back in his seat. The kiss is heated and rushed, and my dress ride up my thighs as his hands move down my waist.

My fingers dance along his chest as my lips trail from his along his jawline. His grip on my waist tightens and I hear his breath catch in his throats when I run my teeth along the sensitive skin just underneath the collar of his shirt which causes a grin to form on my face. I brush my hair over to one side so it's out of my way, exposing my neck and shoulder to him.

Charles laces his fingers through my hair at the base of my neck and forces my head to the side so he can kiss down my neck to my shoulder where his other hand slips the thin strap of my dress down my arm. The top of my braless chest is on display to him, my hardened nipples pressing against the thin fabric begging to be exposed.

Any thoughts of right or wrong are so far gone from my mind and all I can focus on is his hands on my skin. They light a fire as he leans forward to claim my lips and reaches down underneath his seat for the lever that pushes it all the way backwards.

My body quickly heats up and without breaking contact, I slip the jean jacket from my arms and toss it into the backseat. Without giving me a chance to resist, Charles grabs me by the backs of my thighs with both hands and drags me over into his lap with ease, my legs straddling his waist. I pull away from him just enough to see his expression, my hands resting on his chest and both of us breathing a little heavier.

As he inspects my face for any hint as to what I'm thinking, my fingers toy with the top button on his shirt and his eyes wander down to where my dress has ridden up to the tops of my thighs, exposing a pair of pale pink lace panties. He lets out a breath while running his hands along my thighs, squeezing the flesh hard enough to earn a soft moan from me, and I pop the button of his shirt open before leaning down to press a kiss to the newly exposed skin.

"Mia." His voice is firm as my lower body grinds against his and I can feel him growing hard which only encourages me on as I kiss back up his neck to his lips. "Mia." He says again while taking my wandering hands in his to stop me. My actions come to a halt as I watch the struggle on his face. With my forehead pressed against his, I do my best to catch my breath.

"This isn't okay?" I whisper out, almost feeling shameful as I slip the straps of my dress back up. When I try to move over to the passenger seat he grabs me by the hips with one hand to keep me in place, his other reaches up to grip my throat. There's lust in his eyes as he uses his hold on me to push my back against the steering wheel.

Charles squeezes just enough where my breath catches in my chest, but his thumb brushes soothingly over my skin to reassure me that he wouldn't hurt me. His eyes travel from my chest where my nipples are still showing and further down to the hem of the dress. The hand on my hip runs up so my dress is hiked up around my waist, showing him everything he wants to see and his expression turns dark as his fingers trace patterns on my upper thigh.

My breathing quickens and my eyes snap shut as he traces his thumb over my core through my panties and he applies just enough pressure to get a reaction out of me. My hips shift against his, begging him to keep going, but he removes his hand from my throats and pulls my dress back down. My eyes snap open filled with confusion and there's a grin playing on his lips.

When he motions for me to resume my spot in the passenger seat my mouth opens and closes, feeling thoroughly out of sorts, and by the look on his face he knows he's thrown me for a loop. A chuckle leaves his throat as he readjusts his shirt and slides his seat back to a comfortable driving position. He puts the car in drive and we ride in silence for a while before he speaks.

"You're full of surprises." His voice is even once more and I continue to sit on my side of the car, arms crossed over my chest as I stare out the window. I have no idea what just happened, and I don't know how we are suppose to resume our breakfast plans without complication.

"As are you." My tone is laced with sarcasm and he reaches over and slips his hand up my dress to rest on my upper thigh and even though I'm slightly annoyed, the sexual frustration hasn't relented. I want his hands to do sinful things and I want it now.

"Are you really mad at me?" I don't even have to turn my head to know he finds our situation amusing, and I roll my eyes before uncrossing my arms just long enough to slap his hand away from my thigh. "Fine, fine." He raises his free hand in surrender.

For the next few minutes the only conversation we have is him asking me for directions to the little diner I'd planned to take him to, and me pointing in the direction for him to drive.

The chuckles coming from his side of the car fuel my frustrated fire, but the closer we get to our destination the less hateful I feel until I finally look over at him and he's grinning from ear to ear. I roll my eyes as he reaches over and slips his fingers through mine without resistance from me. He pulls my hand up to press a kiss to the back of my hand.

"If it helps, the things I want to do to you shouldn't be done in a car in a parking lot, anyway." I look up at him as a blush creeps up my neck and the butterflies start to attack my stomach for what feels like the thousandth time since I met Charles.


	6. Chocolate Chip Pancakes

**MIA**

"Did you go to college?" Charles asks over a stack of pancakes and the table is littered with plates of eggs, toast, and bacon. The well dressed man in front of me looks out of place in the divey style diner, but it has the best chocolate chip pancakes in the entire city. He had seemed surprised when I showed him where to turn, but never once did he complain about the far less than five star destination.

Lucy and I use to spend lots of late nights and early mornings here back when we first moved out of our parents houses. We'd party until the wee hours of the morning, and then stumble here with whatever dates we had acquired, but I'd left that part out when I told Charles the story of how I came to love this place.

It's a cozy family owned place where the waitresses treat you like family. The floor is black and white tiled and the walls are painted a bright red. The booths are old school leather and we had chosen a spot by a window far away from the other breakfast eaters so we could talk quietly between the two of us.

"I spent a few semesters in college, but life kind of got in the way of all of all that." I steal a piece of toast and pop a piece in my mouth. "I dropped out shortly after my first year."

"How do you mean?" There's genuine interest in his voice and it surprises me. Most guys couldn't care less about the experiences that make us who we are. In my experience the only conversation men want to have is the kind that gets them into your pants.

"Lucy, my roommate, and I quickly realized that the time we spent in school was time we weren't making money, and we made the decision to drop out together." He raises an eyebrow, his elbows on the table with his hands clasped together in front of him.

"What about your parents, they couldn't help you?" I let out a sigh as I think back to those few rough years after we moved to the city.

"We were never well off people." I motion towards him, insinuating that we come from very different walks of life. "They were barely making ends meet for themselves and I couldn't ask. And when my father died, things just became really complicated." He reaches out and takes my hand when the sadness creeps into my face at the thought of my dad.

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened, if you don't mind me asking."

"It was a heart attack, totally out of the blue. He worked really hard to provide for us and at the end of the day I guess it was too much." I shrug my shoulders and look down at my plate.

"Were you close? You and your father?" A smile pulls at the corners of my lips as I picture him now. There was never a time he didn't have a smile on his face and it was like you could just feel the love he had for his family radiating off of him. Even though we struggled, you would never know it by the way our family loved each other. My father was gifted with girls instead of boys like he should've had, but my sister and I were his joy in life.

"He was my best friend." I look up at Charles and he's watching me intently, his hand still holding mine in the center of the table. "I learned how to take apart a car engine before I learned how to do my makeup. He taught me how to play guitar, cook steak the right way. He was," I trail off to look out the window of the diner. "The best father a girl could've asked for. I miss him."

"And your mother?" I roll my eyes and a laugh escapes my lips.

"She's pretty incredible, well she was." My hand fidgets in his a little. "Before my dad died. Now, she's just not really.. here, if that makes sense." The intense stare I've come to know is there and I brush my hair behind my ear. "What about you? Any family?" He shakes his head and leans back in the booth, our hands disconnecting.

"My life isn't interesting enough to talk about."

"Oh come on, that can't be true. Wealthy Wall Street bachelor picking up single women in mysterious places, I bet your life is full of action and adventure." I tease, my eyes sparkling with wonder, glad to turn the conversation in a lighter direction than my complicated past.

"I promise you it's not. I was raised by wealthy parents, who were also raised by wealthy parents and so on. Like I said, I inherited this. I didn't build an empire by myself, now that would be an entertaining story."

"Tell me anything about you. I want to know." He shakes his head and smiles.

"You are a stubborn woman."

"I prefer the word determined." I take another bite of my pancakes before pushing my plate away from me. "I'm so full, I think it's time for a nap."

"I bet you look beautiful when you first wake up." I catch myself blushing once again.

"I don't think that's true." I joke as I picture myself, hair a mess and eyes still tired.

"What I'm imagining is the picture of beauty." I shake my head.

"I don't sleep in naughty lingerie and a full face of make up if that's what you're envisioning."

"Not quite. More like my shirt, nothing else, and lips just begging to be kissed." My mind wanders to a dangerous place and I can tell by the look in his eyes he's thinking of it too. I have to mentally check myself before I say something stupid. Something about him has me feeling bolder than my usual self. "Can I ask you something and you'll be honest with me?" I bite my bottom lip, not sure where this is headed.

"Of course." He hesitates before speaking.

"What was that about, earlier in the car?" There's curiosity written on his features and I pause, not sure how to answer him.

"I—I don't actually know. I'm not sure what came over me."

"I'm not upset about it, by any means." He smiles. "I was just taken off guard." Embarrassment overwhelms me and I feel stupid for not smothering the urges I was feeling earlier, and stare down at my hands. "Hey," Charles reaches across the table to lift my chin so my gaze is locked with his. "Don't be like that, I was only curious."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to be." He grins. "You can jump me any time you wish." My stomach stirs and my heart beats a little faster as he rubs his thumb over my bottom lip, parting them slightly. His eyes drop to my mouth and the same look he gave me in the car, eyes filled with want, creeps in again. His reassurance soothe any doubt that I was too forward, and the embarrassment I felt slips away.

The bold confidence I felt earlier fills my chest and I gently take his wrist in my hand before trailing my fingers up his arm. He watches my motions with intrigue as I caress his bicep before retracting my hand where I play with the neckline of my dress, knowing full well he's paying close attention to the fabric as it slips down just a little.

"Stop." His voice comes out as a whisper but it's no less demanding than if he had yelled it. I can't stop the grin as I inconspicuously dip my fingers into the neck of my dress to caress my bare breast for just a second, after making sure no one else is around, all while watching him watch me.

"What's wrong?" I feign innocence, loving every second of watching him suffer.

"I think I met you just so you could kill me." He mumbles out as he flags down our waitress for the check.

"Eager to get rid of me?" I raise an eyebrow at the way he snatches the slip of paper from her before I can, and hands her his credit card without even looking at the total.

"You are undoing my self discipline." He lets out a breath and checks his Rolex for the time. "I have a meeting in an hour that I can't miss."

The waitress brings over the receipt and he scribbles his signature before slipping the black card back into his wallet.

"Now I'm going to take you home without you trying to seduce me so I can focus." I give him a teasing pout and he rolls his eyes as he stands from the booth and when I do the same he slips his arm around my waist.

"You're no fun." I joke, knowing that even if he'd allow it, I couldn't bring myself to sleep with someone I'd only known for three days no matter how temptingly attractive they may be. There's no doubt his pursuit has brought out a new side to me I never knew existed, but for the time being the pursuit is all this will be. Charles leans down as we walk towards the door and places a kiss to my jaw while squeezing my waist close to his side.

"An hour wouldn't be enough time, anyway." He whispers only loud enough for me to hear, and in that moment I find myself second guessing every single one of my morals.


	7. 865

**MIA**

Later that evening I'm swamped at Simon. It's just the start of the weekend and I'd expected nothing less, but I hadn't had time for a quick nap after breakfast with Charles, so my eyes burn as I pour and mix the drinks the club goers order. Jonathan is beside me working the other side, it being the weekend I can't handle the amount of orders by myself.

My feet are screaming in the uncomfortable heels I'd chosen for the night, but I push through knowing my bed and a good nights sleep is only a few hours away.

"Got a new boyfriend?" Jonathan calls out to me when there's a minute to breathe without anyone waving their hand in our faces.

"Last time I checked, I'm still single as ever." I flash him a smile, but he gives me an all knowing look.

"Older guy that's been hanging around here, eyes only for you? You're telling me there's not something going on there?"

"I'm not sure that's any of my boss' business." I tease.

"And as a friend? Am I privy to the information then?" He comes over to me and nudges my shoulder. "Come on, you can tell me."

"He's not my boyfriend. Just a friend."

I try to keep the conversation short and I step away to take an order, hoping Jonathan will lose interest in the conversation, but by the look on his face I know he's not going to give up that easily. I'm pulled out of my thoughts as I slide a man the rum he had ordered by someone calling out my name.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" I ask the redhead as she drags a taller man I don't recognize through the crowd over to the bar. I catch Jonathan eyeing my best friend and he comes over while holding a bottle of vodka.

"Members only, Lucy. You know the rules."

"Blame your doorman, Johnny boy. He didn't try to stop me." She jokes and Jonathan cracks a smile. He knows Lucy from the many times she's been able to talk her way into the club to see me and knows that most rules in life don't apply to her.

"Members pay two grand a month here, you got that kind of cash on you?" My boss joke with her and she waves a hand in his face.

"We won't be here long. Mia wasn't answering her phone so I had to stop in." The guy she had brought stands at her side, his hands tucked in his pockets like he feels awkward. She probably picked him up at a bar only hours before, and doesn't know what to say.

"Because she's at work, no phones. Or did you forget that as well as the membership fee?"

"Oh hush." She back talks him with a grin just as she does everyone else and Jonathan calls out over his shoulder that she has to be gone in ten minutes as he walks off to keep making drinks. "What are you doing after work?" There's a sparkle of mischief in her eyes and I groan, knowing what's coming next.

"I had planned on going to bed."

"Nonsense! It's Friday night, and there's a party happening a few blocks from here. We're going."

"But Luc—"

"No." There's determination written all over her face. "No. We are going out even if I have to drag you by your hair." She leans over the bar close enough to whisper in my ear. "Huge job opportunity, Mia. Lots of cash. I need you." She pulls back enough to see my expression and I hesitate. She stares me down with her emerald green eyes as I think over my options and I let out a huff.

"Fine. Fine!"

"You are the best." She claps her hands and takes her new found boy toys hand once more. "Meet me at home and we'll split a cab to the club." I wave her off and she zooms back through the club like she was never even here.

"Your roommate is something else, Mia." Jonathan calls out from across the bar and I just roll my eyes. Yes she is.

•••

The club is packed wall to wall with people of all ages, and the few shots I had taken before we even left the apartment have me feeling so much better than when I was still at work. Thoughts of my bed and sleep are long gone and now I'm excited to be out with my best friend.

Strobe lights spray multi colored rays of light over every surface of the club called 865. Its known for its drug scene and live music, which is right up Lucy's alley. She clutches my hand tightly in her own and I shuffle along in the platform heels, feeling self conscious because of the short dress she'd forced me to wear. It's a simple black spaghetti strap dress, but the back plunges low to my waist. I'm afraid if I move to quickly, the material might just fall off.

Lucy however is done up in a vivid red dress that accents every curve she has. When she moves it's with purpose and every man who lays eyes on her can't look away. Her eyes have been darkened by thick eyeliner and a smokey eye shadow, and I can see why no one can tell her no. She radiates confidence and her laugh is contagious.

"It's packed, this is awesome." Lucy whispers in my ear as we make our way through to crowd to a booth filled with well dressed guys our age. "Gentlemen." She greets loud enough for them to hear over the loud music. She scoots into the booth an they smile and flirt with her like most men do.

I scan over the crowd as the music pumps loud enough that it vibrates through my body and when my eyes flicker back over to my friend she's reaching into her clutch out of site under the table to slip one of the clear baggies filled with white powder into one of their hands.

He passes her a few bills and she presses a kiss to his cheek before reaching across the table to steal a cocktail from one of the others. She slams it back without hesitation before setting the empty glass down on the table. I hear her say her goodbyes as she stands from the table and comes back over to me, her hips swaying as she goes.

"Let's get drunk." She says to me with a wide grin as she takes my hand and pulls me over to the bar. She flags the bartender down and orders two tequila shots. I roll my eyes but know it's the quickest way to get my buzz right where I want it.

When the blonde haired bartender sets the two glasses down in front of us, Lucy passes him a few bills but he shakes his head.

"On the house." He flashes her a wink and she blows him a kiss before picking up the two glasses and handing one to me. We shoot them back quick enough so the taste doesn't linger, but my face pinches in disgust anyway.

The liquid burns down my throat and I can't stop myself from smiling as the warmth spreads from my chest to my arms and legs. Any stress I was feeling previously has been erased. Lucy raises her hand to get the bartenders attention once more and he grins over at her with an eyebrow.

"Two more, hunny. Each!" She giggles when she sees my eyes go wide.

"Three tequila shots in five minutes, not a good idea."

"It's the best idea I've had all night." The shots are passed our way and we take them back to back. The edges of my vision are a little fuzzy at this point after the shots we had at home, and I stand from the barstool.

"Let's go dance." Lucy likes the idea and follows me out onto the dance floor. I raise my arms over my head and sway my body to the beat of the music. Lucy stands in front of me and follows suit, her head moving back and forth, hair swinging against her face with her eyes closed.

•••

An hour or two later I can no longer tell time because of the alcohol coursing through my system. I’m not sure how long we’ve been at the club, but by the amount of shots we’ve done I would say it’s nearing time for face planting into bed. My eyes are hooded, my lips parted as I sit at a table as I watch Lucy move from guy to guy, dancing with them for a period of time before I watch the switch happen. She tucks something into their pocket, and they slip a roll of cash into her clutch. It's an endless cycle but I'm drunk so I couldn't care less.

A glass of Jack and Coke is clutched between my hands with a straw and I sip it every so often, my head nodding along to the beat as I wait for Lucy to come back over.

"Hold this, I have to pee." She shouts over the music as she shoves her clutch into my lap.

"I'm ready to go." I whine to her as the sleepiness I felt before starts to overtake my senses.

"After I get back, I promise." She kisses my forehead much like a parental figure would, and brushes my hair out of my face. My head lulls against her shoulder and she giggles. "I'll be five seconds, I promise. Just stay right here." She leaves me and I latch onto her clutch as I lean my head on my hand with my elbow resting on the table.

The next thing I know someone is gripping onto my upper arm and yanking me off the bar stool. I have no sense of time, and I have no idea how long Lucy has been gone, but it feels like much more time has passed than it takes to use the restroom. I open my eyes wide to try and figure out what is going on. My ankles teeter on the heels and almost buckle, but the persons grip on me is so tight I stay upright.

"I'm officer Baker, and you are under arrest for the possession and distribution of cocaine and heroin." My stomach turns at the words as I catch a glimpse of something red in the distance. I squint my eyes to try and focus and I see Lucy being drug across the club, a pair of cuffs on her wrists as the person holding onto me does the same. Even though I can't hear her over the music, I can see she's yelling and fighting the officer, but he pays her no mind as his partner holds her other arm. I start to feel sick as this all feels like a dream.

"Wait, wait please." I cry out to the much taller man but he has no interest in anything I have to say as he reads me my rights. "I didn't do anything. Please."

The faces of the crowd all blur together as I'm forced towards the exit of the club, moving my feet alone just to keep from falling over.


	8. Take Out

**MIA**

The tears flow free down my cheeks and I don't even try to wipe them away. I know I must look a mess, but curled up on the jail cell cot, my back against the concrete wall and my knees pulled to my chest, I couldn't care less.

A thousand thoughts run through my mind, like what my mother would think if they called her. The things my father would say if he was alive to see me now and I can feel my heart breaking in my chest. I don't know how we got here. Part of me loves Lucy and would do anything for her, but the other part feels so angry that she put us here all by herself.

Hours have passed since I was booked into the jail, and the alcohol has slowly worked its way out of my system leaving me depressingly sober in my current situation. Lucy was placed in a different cell and I haven't seen her once since before this all happened. I just want to see that she's okay, but when I'd asked the officer guarding the room if I could just talk to her, he laughed in my face and walked away.

Goosebumps raise on my skin and I rub my hands up and down my upper arms to try and create some heat without any luck. The short dress does nothing to warm me and I reach a hand up to brush the moisture from my face. Feeling the exhaustion taking me over, I lay down on my side with my knees pulled to my chest and close my eyes.

•••

The next thing I know the cell door is buzzing and I pry my eyes open. I feel like I haven't slept at all, but by the weight of my eyelids I know I must have gotten at least an hour. The guard stands at the entrance to the cell and looks down at me with judgment on his face.

"Your bail has been posted. You're free to go."

"What?" I sit up on the cot and stare at him in disbelief. "Who? My mother?"

"I have no other information for you. You'll be given all of that at the desk." I pad across the cell in the slippers they had given me when they took my heels. Apparently they can be used as a weapon, so I had to replace them with shoes that feel like cardboard.

Jonathan? No, as nice of a guy he is, I can't imagine him having the extra cash to spend on me. Sean, Lucy’s other close friend maybe.

Who?

My hair falls into my face and I cross my arms over my chest as I'm led out of the cell and through a few locked doors to a lobby of sorts. When the door swings open I'm face to face with the last person I expected to see.

"Charles?" I deadpan while sweeping my hair over my shoulder and brushing it behind my ear. I know I must look a mess, but he never even crossed my mind when I was going through the list of people it could be. I'd been too overwhelmed with what had happened to think of the man I met less than a week ago. Charles says nothing as he turns away from me to the woman sitting at the desk with a stack of papers.

"I just need your signature here and here." She points as she hands him a pen. "These are stating that she is your responsibility until her court date."

"There won't be a court date, but I'll sign to humor you." There's irritation in his voice and I shrink into myself with shame and guilt. The embarrassment is almost too much to handle and even if he'd tuned to look at me, I wouldn't be able to face him.

The officer that led me from the cell hands me my shoes and the now empty clutch that had held all of Lucy's belongings. It's just a shell now since her phone, money, and drugs had been confiscated as evidence.

"Okay, she's free to go, but if she misses her court date, if one is set," there's sarcasm in the woman's voice after the comment Charles had made. "Then a warrant will be issued for both of your arrests." Charles tosses the pen down and glances at me over his shoulder before turning to the door. He doesn't wait for me to join him, he just storms out.

"Hey." I whisper out as I step out into the sunshine, feeling extremely overdressed for a Saturday afternoon since I'm still wearing the ridiculous dress from last night. "Wait up." Charles says nothing, just slips his arms out of his suit jacket and tosses it at me. It catches me off guard and falls to the ground and my stomach sinks as a headache starts to make itself known at the base of my skull. I bend down to pick up the jacket and slip my arms through the holes. "Charles, please." I hear him let out a sigh as he turns back around, but he refuses to meet my eyes.

"What?"

"This wasn't me." I whisper out as I motion towards the jail behind me. Charles turns his back on me once more and takes the few steps down to the sidewalk where his car is waiting not far off.

"Just get in the car." My shoulders slump and at that moment I could start crying all over again. I suck in a deep breath as I watch him disappear into the drivers side and for the first time since I've know him there's no chivalry. He doesn't try to open the door for me, just waits for me to get in.

As the tears start, I climb in and cross my arms over my chest, making sure to keep my eyes focused out the passenger side window so he can't see my face. The last few hours have been a total nightmare and I've never wanted to bury myself in my bed and forget more than I do right now. Charles makes no move to start the car and he sits there and stares out the windshield with his keys in his hand.

"This wasn't me." I whisper out again, my heart feeling like it weighs a thousand pounds. He's silent for a moment longer before he lets out a long sigh. I hear the jingle of keys as he puts it in the ignition.

"I know. I spoke with your roommate."

"Lucy, how?" My gaze snaps over to him but he still refuses to look my way.

"She called me. She has your phone."

"Wait, she's out?" There's disbelief in my voice as I take in what he's telling me.

"Some friend of hers, Sean I think she said, bailed her out but he couldn't afford you too."

"I can't believe this." I run my fingers through my hair and rest my elbows on my thighs, my head in my hands as the situation hits me full force. I jump in surprise when I feel Charles' hand slips under his jacket to the bare skin of my back. He rubs the skin in a soothing way as the tears flow. "How could she do this to me?" I whisper out. "How could she call you?" A sense of betrayal creeps its way into my mind as I think of my roommate. How could she leave me in there for who knows how long, knowing this was all her fault?

I try to wipe the tears from my face but I know it's no use. I sit up and flip the mirror down and look myself over for the first time since last night. My reflection is pathetic as I take in the circles under my eyes made worse by the leftover mascara and liner. My lipstick is almost nonexistent, but a hint of the deep maroon color can be seen. Charles' rough hand continues to rub my back and I try to wipe the smeared makeup off my face.

"I can't go home, I can't see her." I feel like I'm talking to myself, but Charles just sits and listens to me vent. Without a word he removes his hand from my back, starts the car and shifts into reverse and pulls out of the parking space. "Where are we going?"

"You said you can't go home." Charles mumbles out while slipping a pair of aviator sunglasses onto his face. "So I'll take you to mine."

The rest of the car ride is silent, but after a few moments his phone starts ringing. He holds it up for me to see and the word 'Mia' is flashing across the screen.

"Must be your friend. Do you want it?" He tries to hand me the phone but I refuse it, not wanting to speak to her at all. Whether or not the burning anger towards her will fade with time, I'm not sure but right now I would definitely say something I'd regret. Charles nods and clicks accept before pressing the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?" I listen as I hear her rambling on to him but I can't make out any of her words. Charles is silent as he takes in what she's saying. "She's fine. She'll call you when she's ready." With that he clicks end and tosses the phone onto the dash.

For the first time today he looks over and locks eyes with me. I shy away and turn my face back towards the window but he reaches over and cups my chin with his hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to hide your face?"

•••

We drive for what feels like forever, but couldn't be more than an hour. When Charles signals he's turning and pulls onto a gravel driveway, if I wasn't so upset, my mind would be blown away. The drive is long and winding and a black metal fence blocks our way. Charles comes to a stop at a telecom and lifts what looks like a keychain to the little black box. The gate begins to retract and the car moves forward.

The house itself is out of this world. It's modern with lots of windows and when we pull up closer I see there's a swimming pool. It's mostly white with sections of wood paneling that give it a warm feel. I don't even have words to say as it sprawls out in front of me like something in a dream.

"Come on." He tells me as he parks the car in the garage and steps out. I'm frozen in my spot for a moment, feeling way out of place but I do as he says and follow him in a steel door to the kitchen. The counter top is cement, which I've only ever seen on tv, the floor is all white tile. The decor is minimal but masculine and it is all so fitting of the man it belongs to.

"This is incredible." I whisper out as I run my fingers along the wall.

"It's just four walls and a roof." I arch my eyebrow at him. "Follow me." I do as he says and we make our way up a set of stone stairs which leads us to the second floor. It's very open and full of light from the massive floor to ceiling windows and you can look over the railing to see the living room and kitchen below.

"Charles, this is—"

"Here, the bedroom." He swings a door open, disregarding my awe, and I hurry to catch up as he stands at the doorway. "Bathroom is through that door, take a shower, sleep if you'd like."

"What about you?" I look down at the floor but he reaches up to run a finger along my cheek. "I don't want to intrude, if it's yours." I motion towards the room.

"I've got some work to do so I'll be in my office." He points down the hall to another door. "Bathroom should have plenty of towels and you can wear anything of mine if you want something other than your dress to sleep in." His eyes flicker down to where his jacket has fallen open but they snap back up, his hands stuffed in his pockets like he's afraid to touch me.

"Thank you. I don't think I can tell you how grateful I am for this." Charles simply nods his head and turns to head down the hallway without another word. With my head spinning I step into his bedroom and shut the door behind me.

The room is simple, the walls a deep grey and most of the accents are wood. White linens cover the bed and the whole room smells just like Charles. It's a comfort in my current state and I make my way across the oversized white fur rug to the bathroom door.

The shower is the first thing I lay eyes on. It's a massive walk in shower made of stone and the shower head is twice the size of mine at home. When I make my way over and turn the knobs, the water pours out and quickly steams up the room. I slip my arms out of the jacket Charles had given to me as well as the dress and they puddle to the floor.

•••

It's no surprise to me that the body wash in Charles' shower matches the cologne he wears, so when I step out of the bathroom my skin smells just like him. I feel a thousand times better now that last nights makeup has been scrubbed off. I wander over to the dresser and start opening drawers looking for something to wear, my wet hair swept over one shoulder. There's a knock on the door and I clutch the edge of the fluffy black towel tighter around me as the door swings open.

"Oh, sorry. I can come back." Charles almost appears to be blushing as he turns his head to look away.

"No, it's okay. Come in." His eyes trail up my body and land on my face.

"I just wanted to make sure you found everything okay." He steps over to me and opens up a drawer, making sure to keep some space between us. He pulls out a basic white long sleeved tee and tosses it on the bed. The next thing he pulls out is a pair of grey sweats that I know I'll be swimming in since he's much taller, but I thank him anyway. The site of him feeling nervous around me makes me blush and I reach out to rest my hand on his upper arm.

"Thank you, for everything." I whisper out, one hand still gripping the towel. My hair drips cold water on my skin and I shiver.

"Get dressed, you need to sleep." He turns to walk away but I call out for him before he gets to the door.

"Do you feel differently towards me now?" There's a little bit of hurt in my voice as I look down at the floor.

"Why would you ask that?" I shrug my shoulders and walk over to sit on the edge of his bed.

"You were angry when you picked me up and now you're just, different." He cracks a smile.

"Me acting different probably has more to do with you naked in my bedroom and less with you getting arrested." Charles comes over and stands in front of me sitting on the bed. He watches me for a moment before leaning down to claim my lips with his. The kiss is slow as he trails a hand up my arm and to my neck where he caresses my chin.

"Well don't be." I whisper out against his lips.

"Easier said than done." He kisses my forehead and stands back up. "Get some sleep. I'll order take out and we'll eat when you wake up." Charles gives me one last look before heading out the door and shutting it behind him.


	9. Tell Me

**MIA**

When I open my eyes later that day, I'm a little disoriented by my surroundings. It takes me a moment to remember that the extremely comfortable bed I'm curled up in belongs to Charles. It's the best sleep I've gotten in a long time and I've been out so long the sun has started to go down.

Thoughts of the last twenty-four hours swim through my mind like a video reel, and I squeeze my eyes shut to push them out but it's no use. My best friend betrayed me. She may have found a way to get me out, but she's the reason I was arrested to begin with. Cocaine, heroin? Those are felony level charges and my heart sinks into my stomach.

My father would roll over in his grave. I was never fond of Lucy's line of work but for the most part she kept me out of it. There's been a few times over the years that I've went with her, like last night, and sometimes I would help her sell them myself. I would only get involved if she needed me, because I love her and she's always been the constant in my life. Now, when I think of her an uneasiness builds in the pit of my stomach and the emotions make me feel more sad than angry.

Then there's Charles, the mysterious man who seemed to have dropped everything when I was in need. He didn't have to come, he barely knows me. He could have gotten the phone call from Lucy and disappeared from my life forever, but he didn't.

The negative feelings start to disappear as I think of him, his warm smile, his gentle touch and an unconscious smile spreads on my face. I haven't had real feelings for a man in so long and it's refreshing, it's exciting.

I snuggle into the blankets and look over to the bedside table to see a home phone and since I don't have my cell anymore, it being with Lucy wherever she might be, i lean up enough to look at it. There's a few preprogrammed numbers labeled on the top, one being Office and the other being Kitchen so I pick up the phone and press the office button since that's where Charles said he'd be. My limbs are still stiff with sleep and the thought of leaving this cozy paradise is out of the question.

 _"You're awake."_ Charles greets and he seems much less on edge than he was when we got here.

"Mhm, are you busy?" My voice is soft and my eyes want to close, but I try to rub the sleep out of them.

_"Not for you, what do you need?"_

"Can you come here?" He tells me he will be in in a few moments and I toss the phone onto the bed and pull the covers up under my chin. I'd shed the sweatpants not long after I'd laid down and the cool sheets feel like heaven against my bare legs.

A few moments pass by and the door swings open to reveal Charles in the same dress shirt and khakis as before. He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Sleep well?" There's a warm smile on his face but he makes no move to come any closer and I nod. "I was right, you know."

"About?" I turn on my side to face him and let the blankets slip down around my waist.

"You look beautiful when you first wake up." I can feel myself blushing and instead of commenting on his observation I hold my hand out to him. He pushes himself off of the wall and comes over.

When he's close enough I lean over to take his hand and drag him onto the bed with me. With my free hand I lift the covers for him to get in beside me and he sits up with his back against the headboard as I sit up enough to rest my head against his stomach, my arms winding around his waist.

"This is what you called me for?" Without even looking up I can hear the smile in his voice as he runs his fingers through my hair. My eyes close as I cuddle up against him and let out a content smile.

"Are you complaining?" I whisper out. He lifts my chin with his other hand and leans down to press a kiss to my lips.

"Not in the slightest." He kisses the tip of my nose and I can't help but smile as I rest my head back down once more.

We sit in silence for a few minutes and the feel of him running his fingers up and down my back almost puts me back to sleep. When he says my name I try to pry my eyes back open, but all I really want is to fall back asleep just like this. This is true comfort, this is safe.

"Hm?" I mumble out while cuddling up closer to him.

"We should probably talk about last night." I let out a sigh, knowing the moment of comfort has passed and drag myself away from his side. When I look up theres a frown on his face and he takes my wrist to pull me back. "I didn't say you had to move."

"What do you want to know?" I rest my hand on his hip and rub my thumb back and forth.

"Did you know what she was doing?" I pause as I think back to all the risky things Lucy has been involved in since I've known her, but at the end of the day she's always stood by me. She's the most loyal person I've ever met, until now.

"Of course." The shame in my voice is obvious and with our current position I'm thankful he can't see my face. I feel him let out a deep breath underneath me.

"Mia, you have to understand, I'm a well known figure. Im connected to many important people." I look up at him and nod.

"I don't expect you to do anything for me. I'll pay you back every dollar."

"That's not what I'm saying." I pull myself away from him and this time he lets me go. He sits up straight and I sit cross legged facing him on the bed. He eyes me up and down, only just now realizing I'm pant-less under the covers. He reaches a hand out to rest on my thigh.

"Then what?"

"You do understand that I'm very fond of you, right?" He squeezes my thigh and I rest one hand on top of his.

"As I am of you." His eyes stay locked on our hands.

"This can't be a regular thing, Mia. I can't be seen at the county jail bailing people out."

"I hope you understand that this is not the person I am." There's hurt in my voice as I furrow my brows at him. "Is this how you think of me? That I'm just some low life piece of trash bartender who gets arrested every weekend?"

All of the emotions come bubbling to the surface and I can't stop them. Charles shakes his head and tries to reach out for me but I rip my arm away and stand from the bed.

"I'm not some charity case, Charles. My roommate and best friend in the world just tore my heart out and stepped on it, I don't need to be judged by you on top of that."

"Mia, come here." Charles holds his hand out for me to take but I hesitate. "Mia." I turn away from him and run my fingers through my hair.

"I'm sorry, I just-" I hear him stand and make his way over to me but he doesn't force me to look at him like he's known to do. "I just can't believe any of this."

"I don't think you're any of those things. I think you're kind, genuine, and beautiful enough to bring any man to his knees." He takes a few steps closer and slips one arm around my waist and pulls me back against his chest. Charles leans down and presses a kiss to the side of my head. "But most of all I think you're so unbelievably good and honest. You couldn't hide the truth from your face if you tried." I start to relax against him and his arm squeezes me closer so there's no space between us.

"Why did you come?" I whisper out after a moment of silence. "You could've just forgotten about me, I would've understood." I turn my head to the side so I can read his expression. "You didn't have to risk your reputation for someone you only just met."

"I came because you needed me." There's a vulnerability in those words and my heart beats a little faster in my chest. "and because I can't get you off my mind and the thought of you in a jail cell felt wrong to me." He grips my wrist and turns me to face him. "This is the only way I want to picture you." He closes the gap between us and presses his lips to mine without giving me the chance to respond.

I snake my arms around his waist as he cups my chin with his hands. The irritation I'd felt just moments ago fades and all I can think about now is the way his lips feel against mine. My hands run up his back and back down as I kiss him back with everything I have. His touch is delicate and precise as one hand slides down my neck, my arm, and along my waist. He takes the bottom of the shirt in his grip before moving down to my bare thighs.

Goosebumps ripple across my skin as his fingers graze along my legs and he lifts the shirt to my waist and pulls away from me to kiss down my neck and chest. I run my hands along his neck and shoulders as he continues kissing down my body. He drops to his knees and his lips find my belly button. My head falls back as his teeth nip at the sensitive skin over my hip bones and I can feel him grin against my skin when a sigh escapes my lips.

His facial hair tickles and I bite my bottom lip as one of his hands travels up my body underneath the shirt to massage one breast with his hand as his lips continue to cover every inch of my torso. My nipples are instantly hard at the feel of his calloused hands on the sensitive flesh and I can feel the familiar want settle between my legs. My eyes snap shut when his fingers slide along the top edge of my panties and his kisses move lower to the tops of my thighs. His hand leaves my upper body to wind around my waist where he grips my ass tight and drags me closer.

I lick over my lips as my gaze moves down to watch him and I run my hands over his shoulders to the buttons on his shirt. He pulls away from me long enough so I can unbutton the first few but he stands up and pushes me backwards towards the bed. His movements are rough and forceful as my back hits the mattress and he stands over me, my legs dangling over the edge of the king sized bed. He stares down at the exposed parts of my body, the shirt of his I'm wearing having ridden up to expose the undersides of my breasts and the only thing concealing my lower body is a pair of black lace panties.

An emotion passes over his face that I can't quite place but something tells me I'm not going to get what I desperately want, so I know I have to act before what happened in the car repeats itself. I lift my leg to wrap around his waist to drag him on top of me and there's a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Charles supports himself on his forearms, his lips inches from mine and his lower body resting between my legs. The fact that he's still fully clothed is irritating to me and my fingers work quickly to get the next few buttons undone before he can stop me. I claim his lips once more with my own and my hands slip inside his unbuttoned shirt to slip it off his shoulders.

"What do you want?" Charles mumbles against my lips, his voice vibrates against my lips causing them to tingle.

"You." There's no hesitation, no second guessing, but I can tell that's not the answer he wants. He sits up a little and his gaze sweeps over my body once more.

"What do you want?" Charles asks me again, this time his tone is more firm. His fingers wander up my thighs and over the lace of my panties, his gaze trained hard on the skin his hands touch. "Do you want me to taste your sweet pussy?" His voice is lower this time and the boldness of his words leaves me breathless as he leans down and presses his lips to the sheer fabric. "Or make you cum with my fingers?"

My heart skips as I close my eyes, but the sensation only lasts for a second as he moves his lips up to my abdomen. He ghosts over my ribcage where he slips his hand from my panties to the shirt and pushes the fabric up around my neck. He takes a nipple in his mouth and sucks hard enough to earn a moan from me as I run my hand over the back of his neck, my eyes closing once more and I nod as he watches me.

Charles continues upwards where he stares down at me, his body between my legs and he presses his hips into mine and I can feel how hard he is through his pants.

"Or is it my cock you want?" My whole body is on fire and I shift my hips to grind against his. I grip the sheets in my hands as I lick over my lips before opening my eyes to see him staring down at me, a kind of darkness written all over his face. The slow torture is enough to kill me and I just want him to do something, anything, but he seems to be enjoying every second.

"All you have to do is tell me and it's yours." His breath tickles my neck as he kisses my collarbone and a blush creeps up my neck. The thought of saying the things I want him to do makes me bite my lip. I've never been the adventurous type when it comes to sex, and I've never had to ask but it's written all over his features that he wants to hear me say it. I lock gazes with him and it's a staring contest, him waiting for me to speak, me waiting for him to just do it, but his willpower is impressive. I shift under his intense stare and let out a huff as I pull the shirt down over my body back to its rightful place.

"It's a simple question." Charles raises an eyebrow, almost as if he's amused now but I can feel the same frustration building inside of me just like in the car before breakfast that day. My stubbornness kicks in instantly at his expression and I refuse to give him the words he wants to hear just for the singular reason he expects it.

"You had no intentions of this going anywhere, did you?" I bite my bottom lip and watch him as he stands up and buttons his shirt. I get no answer as he finishes situating his clothes and he winks at me before heading for the door. "You're really just leaving?" There's disbelief in my voice as I sit up on my knees on the bed and cross my arms over my chest.

"I'm going to go order that take out." His tone is so nonchalant I'm once again thrown for a loop and once he's out the door I let out a frustrated huff, feeling unsatisfied and almost willing to do anything to have him.


	10. I’m Sorry

**MIA**

Once I've gotten over the initial shock of Charles walking out, I slip from the bed and pull on the sweatpants once again. I look myself over in the oversized mirror hanging on the wall over the dresser and do my best to tame my unruly locks. Sleeping with my hair wet hadn't helped, and I let out a sigh knowing things aren't going to get any better without a brush and curling iron.

After a while of letting myself simmer down after the steamy exchange, I make my way out of the bedroom and down the stairs where I smell something delicious. When I round the corner to the kitchen Charles is standing at the island, unboxing all of the take out he ordered after leaving the room. 

"Smells amazing." His eyes flicker up to me, having not heard me step into the room.

"I hope you like pad thai." I step further into the kitchen and my mouth waters at the boxes of noodles.

"I love it." I keep my gaze focused on the food but I can feel him watching me.

"Still mad at me?" I raise an eyebrow as I look up.

"I don't think mad is the correct word." A warm chuckle escapes his lips as he steps around the island and comes over to me. His arms slip around my waist and he drags me against him with a teasing smile.

"Frustrated, unsatisfied, either of those fit?" Charles kisses the top of my head and I slap his chest in a playful manner.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"It's too much fun for me, you know." I look up at him with my chin resting on his chest and sigh.

"I assume that's why it's happened more than once?" His lips find mine.

"You might be on to something." My eyes flicker over to the food on the counter and my stomach growls. "Hungry?" He jokes having heard.

"Starving." As he turns back to the food to grab plates, I notice a black duffle bag that looks similar to one I own sitting on the counter behind him. "What's that?" I point as I step over to where it's sitting. He glances up and look over to see what I'm talking about.

"I had my assistant go over to your apartment to get some of your things. Lucy packed it, so I hope she got everything." I unzip the bag and see an assortment of clothing. Jeans, pajamas, and bras and panties fill it to the brim along with a smaller bag full of makeup and other getting ready necessities like my beloved curling iron. Even on bad terms, Lucy is always taking care of me in some way.

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm here?" Charles rolls his eyes while scooping noodles onto each plate.

"I wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't okay." I glance back down at my belongings in the duffle and let out a sigh, guilt filling me.

"I'm sorry to have mixed you up in this." Charles doesn't speak for a moment but I can tell he's halted his actions by the sudden quiet in the room.

"Mia." I meet his gaze over my shoulder and he's watching me intently.

"Like you said, this wasn't you. You don't have to apologize." An unconscious smile pulls at my lips and I step back over to him. He slips his arms around my waist as mine wind around his neck and I press a kiss to his cheek.

"I don't deserve your kindness." He steals a kiss on the lips before unlatching himself from me and handing me a plate of pad thai.

"You deserve all of the kindness in the world." I watch him move around the kitchen, unaware of my stare and my lips pull up into a smile as I tear my eyes away from his sinfully perfect physique and set the plate on the counter. I use my palms to hoist myself up onto the cement counter top and Charles looks over his shoulder at me. "I do have a dining room." He teases as he takes his own plate and stands across from me, his back resting against the cabinets.

"I like the view right here." I raise an eyebrow as I look him up and down before scooping a bite of noodles into my mouth. The man in front of me has aged like fine wine. From his salt and pepper hair to the warm laugh lines around his eyes, down to his fit body that's not overly muscled but still solid, and now knowing who he is, he's irresistible. 

I hadn't noticed I'd gotten lost in my look over and I'm pulled out of the clouds by Charles clearing his throat. I only then realize the fork resting against my lips as my eyes roam and heat burns up my neck to my cheeks. I snap back to reality and see Charles smirking with those hooded eyes and butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach. 

We eat in silence, and not long before I'm finished with my plate the sound of Charles' phone ringing pulls our attention from our plates. Charles steps over and sets his food down before picking up his phone and turning it so I can see the screen. My name flashes almost angrily and my stomach flip flops.

"Fifth time she's called since you've been awake." It vibrates in his hand and I feel the pressure to take it, but I'm not sure what to say. "Why don't you let her do the talking? See where she stands."

Charles takes a few steps towards me and I set my own plate down before taking the iPhone and staring down at it. I look up at the man in front of me one more time for reassurance before pressing the answer button. I press the phone to my ear and mutter a quick 'hello' as Charles takes my plate and sets it in the sink. He kisses me on the cheek before leaving the room to give me some time to talk to my best friend.

_"Jesus Christ, Mia. I was so fuckin' worried about you."_

"Were you?" My tone is almost condescending, but I check myself. I have to at least give her the chance to explain.

_"You weren't answering the phone and I thought the worst. Mia, please come home. Come home so we can talk abut this. I'm so fuckin' sorry."_

"You left me, Lucy. I was arrested, felony level charges, Luc. And you left me in there while Sean was bailing you out." My words catch in my throat and I can feel my eyes burning. I cross my legs on the counter top and rest one elbow on my thigh, my head resting on my hand. "You left me."

 _"They gave me no choice. I tried to have the money transferred for your bail but the guard was a real bitch, Mia. She said it wasn't possible. The moment I got our phones back I was trying to find a way to get you out. I swear to you."_ I hear her voice crack and it's enough to push a few tears over the edge and down my cheek.

"I don't even know what to say here." My voice is soft, barely a whisper.

 _"Say you'll come home. You're all I've got in this world, remember?"_ The words I've heard her say to me almost every day since we've known each other make the left side of my chest clench. It use to be a phrase of endearment, it was the way we said we loved each other without having to actually say it.

"I think we need some time apart." The words leave my lips and it feels almost like a break up. It feels like a piece of me is being torn from my own body. I hear a sniffle from the other line and I try to picture her. Is she as much of a mess as I am? Is she hurting the way my heart is hurting?

_"Mia, please."_

"I'll talk to you in a few days, okay?" I squeeze the phone tighter in my hand as I wait for her to respond and all I get is a soft spoken 'okay.' We say our goodbyes and I set the phone down on the counter top beside me before running my fingers through my hair. I squeeze at the roots, my eyes closed tight and I'm taken by surprise when I feel a pair of hands reach up to take me by the wrists.

Charles pulls my hands back down into my lap and replaces them with his own, only instead of trying to rip my own hair out, he runs his fingers softly through my locks in a way that soothes me. There's concern written all over his face as he watches me and all I can do is shrug my shoulders.

"Feel any better?" He asks after a few moments of silence.

"I feel like curling into a ball and sleeping until this is all over." I mumble out while stretching my legs out once more so he's standing between them as they dangle over the edge. His hands move to the tops of my thighs where he squeezes and leans forward to press a kiss to my lips.

"How about we watch a movie, relax, whatever you want to do."

"Sure you don't have big, important millionaire things to do?" I try to crack a smile and I can tell he notices I'm trying to lighten the mood.

"Can't say that I do. Not right now, anyway." He glances down at his watch and stares at it for a second longer than you'd expect. "But first, I need to make a phone call. Go pick out a movie, anything you want. I'll bring us a few drinks when I'm done." I raise an eyebrow as I scoot to the edge of the countertop and slide down so I'm back on my feet, my front flush against his.

"So you do have big important things to take care of." I raise an eyebrow. 

"I wouldn't say that necessarily." Charles takes my chin in his hand and lifts my face to press a kiss to my lips before stepping back and dialing a number. "Pick a good one." Charles tells me before pressing the phone to his ear and stepping out into the garage.

I wander through the house, the hardwood floors send a chill through my bare feet as I step through the dining room to the living area. The room sits lower than the rest, three steps down to be exact, and is lined with plush white carpet. It's the only carpet I've seen on the first floor, and I welcome the warmth on my toes.

The room is well decorated in the same masculine modern feel. An off white sectional spans most of the room and it looks large enough to seat an entire family comfortably. Instead of picking a movie to watch, I slide onto the couch on my stomach and wrap myself in one of the grey fur throws that was draped over the back. I close my eyes and relish the feeling, knowing I don't have to work until tomorrow and I can just enjoy this.

"I see you didn't make it very far." Charles teases moments later as he steps down into the room where I'm snuggled into the blanket, two glasses half filled with dark liquid I'm assuming to be Scotch inside held in his hands.

"It's not my fault you have very comfortable taste in furnishings." I hear him chuckle as he comes further into the room, setting the glasses down on the coffee table, and picks up a remote before flipping on the smart tv. "Millionaire stuff go okay?" I joke as I watch him press a few buttons.

"It's fine. What do you want to watch?" He brushes off my question and turns his gaze to me.

"Anything." He rolls his eyes, the remote pointed at the television.

"Pick something." I sit up on the couch and raise an eyebrow.

"Well, okay Mr Bossy." I ponder for a moment. "Gone in Sixty Seconds." Theres a smile playing on my lips as he nods and finds what he's looking for on the screen. He comes over as the opening credits begin to play, the all familiar intro song brings back memories of watching this with my dad.

I lift the blanket so Charles can sit beside me, but he ignores my invitation and lays at the opposite end with his arm thrown up behind his head. With the other hand he takes me by the wrist and drags me on top of him, the blanket still wrapped around me and I do my best not to fall against his chest. I catch myself on my hands, my face only centimeters from his and I steal a kiss before resting my head on his chest. His free arm not supporting his head slips around my waist and up the back of the shirt I'm wearing to rest on my skin.

Even though we've only just met, our current position and the way he's been with me has me questioning every certain in my life. It has me wondering what a life with a man like this could be like.


	11. Insatiable

**MIA**

I don't remember falling asleep. We had talked every now and then throughout the movie, but the next thing I know Charles is brushing hair behind my ear and pulling the blanket up around my shoulders as he stands over me, the credits rolling on the television screen behind him. The room has darkened now that the tv screen has gone blank and I blink away the sleep from my eyes as I look up at him.

"Where are you going?" I whisper out, my voice cracking.

"I just need to step out for a bit." Charlessits on the edge of the couch beside me and I reach over to lace my fingers through his.

"How long was I asleep for?" I try to fight back a yawn, but fail.

"You made it almost halfway." He tells me with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I guess I was more tired after last night than I thought."

"Don't be, you're adorable when you sleep." Heat rises up from my neck to my cheeks as I flush with a blush and avert my gaze. Charles removes his hand from mine and stands from the couch once more.

"Need anything while I'm out?" I look him up and down as he stands over me and admire his physique in the freshly ironed white dress shirt and khaki pants. He must have changed while I was knocked out. I shake my head and sit up, the blanket falling down around my waist and I realize I'm still wearing his clothes even though he had his assistant pick up some of my own.

"I'm okay, I think I'll just take another shower while you're gone." Charles leans down and takes my chin in his hand before placing a kiss to my lips. His rough touch is something I'm beginning to crave even when it's just as simple as this. A kiss.

"Shame I have to miss it." He flashes me a wink before heading for the kitchen.

"Maybe I'll surprise you when you get back." I giggle before standing and stretching my arms over my head.

"I can only hope." He disappears from sight and I hear the jingling of car keys and the door to the garage shut. I'm left with nothing but the sound of the credits, so I wander into the kitchen to grab the bag filled with clothes, and make my way through the dining room to the stairs.

Once I'm in Charles' bedroom I strip the white shirt of his off and toss it into the hamper by the bathroom door. After leaving the bag on the bed I strip the sweats and panties off before making my way into the bathroom and twisting the knob on the oversized shower to hot. Steam quickly fills the room and I run my hands up and down my arms before stepping into the stream.

The shower leaves me feeling much more refreshed than the one I took this morning after leaving the county jail. Even though a hangover had been weighing me down most of the day, once I'm dressed in a pair black boy short panties and a thin white tank top, any signs of the rough evening I'd had is gone.

I step back into the bedroom and look over Charles' things. The sleek lines and minimalistic decor compliment the man I've come to know so well. The door to the walk in closet is cracked open, and I push it just enough to reveal the massive collection of designer suits and shoes. I'm in awe as I stare at the grandiose assortment and I reach out to brush my fingers against the expensive fabrics as i make my way deeper. It's a perfectly color coded room, light grey fading into dark grey to black.

My gaze lands on a glass case that holds his watch collection and the sight of so much money sitting in one place throws me for a loop. Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre. The words are all intricately etched into the watch faces, some circular, others square and I can't help but think these alone could support a family for years. A family like mine, perhaps. Just two parents doing their best to take care of their two daughters.

As the realization sets in that Charles is so far out of my league we aren't even in the same hemisphere, my heart sinks. In what world could anything ever possibly happen here? At some point the excitement will wear off and he will realize I'm nothing more than a very basic woman from a very different place than himself.

I pace the walk in closet that's large enough to be a bedroom itself, and run my fingers through my hair as the negativity consumes me. I hadn't realized just how much I've come to like Charles until this moment. Now I feel at any second the rug will be swept out from underneath me and I'll be right back in my tiny apartment with a roommate and nothing special in my life. Nothing to give me those butterflies in my stomach.

Time seems to pass by in a flash as I contemplate what to do with myself, and before I reach a resolution I hear the garage door swing shut and the sound of keys being tossed down on the counter top. I do my best to pull myself together but something has lodged itself in the pit of my stomach, something that refuses to be ignored.

I make sure to shut the closet door on my way out and pull back the blankets on the bed before slipping underneath them. Maybe if I just pretend to be asleep all these thoughts will be gone by morning. We can go back to being as we were.

The only light shines from the bathroom and I stare at the wall facing away from the bedroom entrance as I pull the covers up underneath my chin. The sound of footsteps on the stairs makes my heart rate quicken and I hear him push the slightly ajar door all the way open.

"Mia?" His voice is soft, as if he expects me to be asleep, but despite my better judgment I turn over on my back so I can see him.

"That was fast." I whisper out as if I'd almost dozed off while he had been gone. It couldn't have been more than an hour and a half, and part of me wonders where he went. The other part of me understands that it's not my business.

"I figured you'd be asleep, I'm sorry if I woke you." He steps further into the room and begins unbuttoning his dress shirt before draping it over the chair by the bed.

"I wasn't asleep just yet." I bite my bottom lip at the site of him shirtless as his hands reach down to undo his belt. My eyebrow raises and I can see a smirk pull at the corners of his lips from the soft glow of the bathroom light.

"I'm going to take a quick shower." He rests a knee on the bed and leans over so his hands are on either side of me, his face only inches from my own. "I like coming home to you in my bed." He steals a quick kiss before standing back up and heading across the room to the door. His words cause a soft blush to creep up my neck and I sit up just enough to rest my weight on my elbow.

"Hurry back, Mr. Millionaire. This bed is lonely without you." I tease and I can hear him chuckle as he closes the door. The minute he'd walked into the room all of my insecurities had evaporated and Im overwhelmed by the warmth in my chest. I have never felt like this around any man before.

The boldness I feel only when I'm around him seeps into my bones and I know I shouldn't do it, not after the second thoughts I'd had only minutes ago, but I stand from the bed anyway and strip the white tank top over my head and my hair tickles my back as it dances across my bare skin. I take a shaky breath before slipping the boy shorts down my legs and they fall on the carpet on top of my shirt.

I slip back under the covers, pulling the sheet up around me like before, and the cool Egyptian cotton feels like heaven against my naked body. I relish the feel and stretch my legs out and wait for Charles to finish up his shower.

My eyes start to get heavy the longer I wait, but I force them open and when I hear the water shut off quite a while later, my heart rate quickens once more. I've never taken it upon myself to come onto a man before, let alone someone like Charles, but I can't deny the intense feelings I have for him even though I know so little about him.

The bathroom door swings open and steam flows out as Charles steps into the room clad in just a pair of pajama pants, his torso still bare.

"Still up?" His voice is warm and like music to my soul as he flips off the bathroom light, enveloping us in complete darkness.

"Unfortunately." I tease as he comes over and lifts the blankets to slip in beside me.

"I can sleep in the guest room, if you'd prefer it." He tells me, his hands frozen on the duvet.

"Don't be ridiculous." I try to keep my voice even and calm even though I'm a bundle of nerves under the covers.

Charles accepts my response and lays down on his back, one arm thrown behind his head just like he laid before on the couch. His free hand reaches over to slip around my waist but he freezes when he notices there's nothing but skin. My heart hammers in my chest as I gauge his reaction but he says nothing. His grip locks around my wrist and he turns on his side to drag me into his chest as he claims my lips without question. His fingertips glide along my upper back and lower where he grips my ass. The kiss is heated, rushed as his hands trail all over my body and by the time it's over I'm struggling to catch my breath.

Without giving myself a second to think, I press my hand against his shoulder to push him over on his back and he doesn't resist, just watches me with playful curiosity as I slip a leg over his waist and straddle him, my chest pressed against his before he drags me down for another kiss.

My hips move against his and I can feel the excitement through his pants which gives me confidence. I breakaway and sit up, my hands resting on the skin of his chest as I stare down at him with hooded eyes, my lower body rocking against his teasingly slow as I run my hands up my body to caress my breasts in both hands.

Charles follows suit and sits up bringing us flush together again as one of his arms locks around my waist, the other reaches up to grip the back of my hair in his grasp as he pulls my head to the side giving him access to my neck. His teeth nip at my skin and a soft gasp leaves my throat. I can feel his lips curve into a smile and he releases my hair before taking one breast in his hand and trailing kisses down my neck to my chest. My head lulls back when he finds my nipple and I can feel the wetness between my legs when he bites down just enough to make me moan. My hands slide up his back to his shoulders before wandering back down and I scoot back enough to give me access to the edge of his pants.

"Mia." He breathes out and he starts to pull away but I ignore him as I slip one hand into the fabric and wrap my hand around his growing erection. I watch his face as his eyes snap closed and I push on his shoulder to force him onto his back and he doesn't resist. When I know he's not going to try to stop me I slip down his body so I'm at eye level with his cock and I look from my hand to his face as he watches me.

A slur of cuss words leave his lips as I take the head into my mouth and his grip finds my hair once again. He gives my locks a sharp tug which causes me to moan around him as I take him deeper to the back of my throat. I pump the rest of his length that I can't take in my hand as I bob my head up and down and my eyes begin to water from the size of him. The sight of his chest rising and falling quickly turns me on that much more and I start to get impatient, but the way his hips thrust into my throat and his hands pull my hair tells me he's enjoying this, and that fills me with happiness.

"Mia." He repeats, trying to get my attention but I ignore him once again as I take him deep enough to hit the back of my throat, almost succeeding in taking his entire length and he hisses out while forcing my head lower. My throat contracts against the head as my gag reflex makes itself known, but I squeeze my eyes shut and force it back as he thrusts his hips up and my head down. I can barely breathe by the time he releases me from his tight grip and I gasp for air as he watches me try to regain composure. I run my tongue up his shaft without breaking eye contact and he shakes his head almost in disbelief.

I start kissing up his abdomen to his chest until my lower body rests over his and I reach between my legs to place him at my entrance. Charles grips my wrist before I can do anything else and drags me off of him onto my back. He takes my chin in his hand and his eyes flicker from my eyes to my mouth. His thumb brushes along my bottom lip before slipping into my mouth.

"Do you like when I fuck your mouth?" His voice sends a chill down my spine and I say nothing, just nod my head as my tongue runs over the skin of his finger. He continues to watch me, almost as if he's having an internal battle inside his mind.

My heart sinks into my stomach, afraid he's going to deny me once again but I'm taken by surprise when he slips over me, his body resting between my legs after kicking off his pants. I can feel him pressing against my thigh and I shift underneath him in anticipation. My body is on fire by the time his hand finds my waist and moves lower. My mouth falls open when he slips a single finger inside and his thumb rubs tight circles on my clit.

When he adds a second finger I drag him down for a desperate kiss, my hips shifting up to meet his movements and in seconds I'm a writhing mess underneath him.

"I think if you stop this now I'd have to leave you forever." I breathe out as his lips find their way to my chest. My hands run over the back of his neck before moving through his hair and I feel him chuckle against me. He sits up long enough to reach into his bedside drawer to pull out a gold foil packet and I can see his eyes sparkling with lust in the faint moonlight shining in the window. He rips it open with his teeth and watching his arm and chest muscles flex with the movement as he sits over me makes me bite my bottom lip.

Once the condom is on he claims my lips again and guides his cock to my entrance and freezes, his gaze examining my face.

"What?" I whisper out, my body buzzing with need.

"I don't think you understand how fucking irresistible you look right now." His voice is low as he slips in just enough to feel him and a sigh of relief leaves my lips as my eyes flutter closed. There's a similar reaction from Charles, as if he's been holding out for this for a while. A groan comes from him as he slips in inch by inch.

Charles takes me by surprise when he thrusts in all the way and I cry out when he doesn't move. One of my legs falls open, the other rests against his hip and I see him grin before pulling out slow, then back in with force. It's a torturous pace, but it feels so good I don't care. He carries on like this for what feels like forever, thrusting in with enough force to make the headboard move, but pulling out slow enough to make me scream with frustration. The way his breath comes out shaky, he closes his eyes, and makes the most delicious noises tells me he needed this just as much as I did.

The heat builds and it doesn't take long for a glistening of sweat to form on his body. It accentuates the curves of his muscles and I'm overwhelmed by all of the different sensations. His rough hands grip any part of me he can reach and any chance of me being the one to take advantage of him tonight is out the window. I'd do anything he asked me to at this point.

I squeeze the sheets by the side of my head with my hands as he picks up the pace, the muscles in his arms taut as they support his upper body over me. After a moment he leans back on his knees and runs his hands down my thighs before gripping me by the backs of the knees and dragging me down the bed and draping my legs over his shoulders.

I run my hands down my body as he grips my thighs and slip one between my legs, my gaze locked on his face as he watches me. I run my fingers over my folds and he squeezes the flesh of my upper legs as he watches me pleasure myself. I can feel his hardness pressing against me and I bite my bottom lip at the feel.

This boldness I feel around him has worked to my advantage, because he quickly gets impatient watching my face contort with pleasure at my own hand, and he replaces mine with his own as he uses his other to slip back inside me.

Charles resumes his pace and I lick over my dry lips before leaning up on my elbows so I can watch him slip in and out. Watching him move fills my mind with dirty thoughts and I can't imagine ever getting tired of this. I can barely hold my eyes open as the pleasure courses through my body with each thrust and I can tell he's loving every second of it.

While one of his hands is busy bringing me closer to my peak the other pinches a nipple between his fingers and the pleasure shoots straight to my core causing me to cry out when he massages my clit.

"Oh my—" The words trail off as I feel myself getting close and my head falls back.

Charles pulls away and the lack of contact hits me like a brick wall. My head snaps up to look at him but he grabs me by the wrist, a playful smile on his lips as he drags me across the bed. He pulls me into his lap, one leg on either side of his waist, my breasts flush against his chest, and I use one hand to guide him back into me. He uses his grip to squeeze my ass, forcing me back and forth over him and I wrap my arms around his neck, my brain turning to mush as he fills me completely.

Each movement of my own is met with an upward thrust from him and this new position causes him to hit a spot inside me that has tears leaking from the corners of my eyes. I never knew sex could be this good.

With each thrust I'm pushed closer to the edge and when my orgasm hits me it's like my body bursts into flames. My hands grip his shoulders and he stops his assault on my body as my legs begin to shake and he lifts me off of him back onto the bed where he forces me legs open and leans down to run his tongue up along my sensitive core without warning.

I sit up while trying to move out from under him, not knowing if I can take much more stimulation but he holds me in place by the waist and watches me, his eyes dark as he sucks on my clit. Tears leak down my cheeks as I cry out, the muscles in my legs twitching and it only takes a moment before he pulls away and takes his cock in his hand after ripping the condom off.

Charles covers my abdomen in cum and the sounds that come out of his mouth when he reaches his peak could make me want to do this all over again, but a heaviness fills my body after the intense orgasm.

Charles falls onto his back beside me and the room is silent as we both try to catch our breath. I use the back of my hand to wipe away the moisture from my face and I'm caught off guard when a t-shirt comes flying at me and lands on my face. A quiet giggle leaves my throat as I look over and see Charles motioning towards the mess on my stomach and I use the material to wipe it away before tossing it off the side of the bed, not having the energy to deal with it now.

There's no words exchanged, just the sound of ragged breathing and I can't remember the last time sex left me feeling this way. Totally spent but satisfied in a way you can't describe.

When I look over at the man beside me he's watching, a content expression on his face and I blush before draping an arm across my face. Part of me feels embarrassed, not knowing what got into me but glad it did. Charles reaches up and pushes my arm off my face before resting his arm across my waist. His fingertips brush shapes along my naked skin and my nipples harden when goosebumps rise.

The pad of his finger sends an aftershock of pleasure through my body when he ghosts across the hardened bud and I shiver. I can feel it between my legs and he leans over and takes it into his warm mouth. He sucks hard enough to get a reaction out of me and I feel myself getting wet all over again. As if he knows, he runs his hand down my abdomen and between my legs. A sound of approval leaves his throat when he feels me dripping wet only minutes after cumming like I never have before.

"You're insatiable." He teases and I blush again as he kisses up my body to my neck where he takes the shell of my ear between his lips. Every touch is magnified and a gasp leaves my lips. "I've got all night to get you off. Is that what you want?" The stubble of his jaw tickles my skin and I take his face in my hands while doing my best to get myself under control.

"I do," I can't stop the grin from creeping onto my face as I press a soft kiss to his lips while brushing my thumb against his cheek. "But I think we both need to sleep after that." I joke before sitting up and resting my back against the headboard.

The sheet falls down around me, leaving my naked body on display and he watches me like I'm the most interesting thing in the world. I stand from the bed and make my way over to the chair where the white white button down dress shirt he'd had on earlier rests and I pick it up and slip my arms into the sleeves, well aware of his eyes on me.

My fingers do up a few of the buttons while leaving most of them undone, and when I get back over to his side of the bed I crawl into his lap, one leg on either side of him and claim his lips in a heated kiss.

"Your shirt, nothing else, lips just begging to be kissed." I quote him with a smile as I roll off him onto the other side of the bed and he reaches over to slap my ass playfully.

"You're dangerous."

I lay back on the memory foam pillow and pull the sheet up around me before turning on my side to face away from him. It doesn't take long for him to follow suit and slip an arm around my waist before he drags me back against his chest. A content sigh falls from my lips as I close my eyes and realize just how exhausted I am. Charles buries his face in the crook of my neck and it only takes seconds for my breathing to even out and the world around us to disappear.


	12. Lucy

**MIA**

The sun isn't even up when my eyes flutter open at the feel of the bed moving. My eyelids feel like they're made of sandpaper when I try to pry them open and I see the silhouette of Charles standing from the bed. Just from the heaviness in my bones I can tell I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep. I stretch my arms over my head and look at the clock beside the bed.

"Charles, its five in the morning." My voice, laced with sleep, feels out of place in the quiet, pitch black room.

"Shh, go back to sleep." I hear his voice from the closet and I scrunch my eyebrows. "I have to put in a few hours at the office."

"But it's Sunday." I pull the blankets up higher around my half naked body and my heavy lids refuse to stay open. Moments later Charles comes over and sits on the edge of my side of the bed and brushes his warm hand across my cheek. I'm slightly aware of the fact that he's now fully dressed in one of the fancy suits I had inspected yesterday.

"What time do you have to be at Simon?" I brush my thumb over his wrist as I try to form a coherent thought in my half asleep state.

"It's Sunday, so two." I mumble out while snuggling deeper into the pillow. I hear him let out a soft chuckle.

"I'll be back in time to take you, but I'll leave a credit card and a set of car keys on the counter just in case.  
I'm late." 

"You don't have to." Charles leans down to press a kiss to my cheek before standing.

"But I want to. Now go back to sleep." A response is out of the question considering I'm already on my way back to unconsciousness, and I'm out by the time the garage door shuts.

•••

As I move about the kitchen making a pot of coffee for myself, my wet hair wrapped in a fluffy white towel and a set of my own clothes on my body for once, I can't stop the smile caused by thoughts of the night before.

The aches in my body are a pleasant reminder that it wasn't a dream and I haven't been able to think of anything else since I woke up for the second time this morning. When the high tech coffee maker I had barely been able to figure out, but thanks to Charles' laptop and YouTube I did, dings signaling it's done, I search around the kitchen cabinets for a mug. After opening what feels like a dozen, I stumble across one filled with crisp white ones, simple and classic.

The steaming liquid burns as I take the first sip but I relish the feeling as I lean against the counter and ponder what to do while I'm alone and without a cell phone. It's barely nine in the morning and anymore sleep would have left me feeling groggy.

Across from me on the island lays a set of car keys that look like they belong to something expensive, as well as a pad of paper with writing on it. On top of the paper is a black credit card with Charles' name engraved at the bottom. Anyone who knows anything knows a black credit card means power, and most of me doesn't even want to touch it.

I find myself taking the few steps to the island and drag the notepad over with my fingertips. There's only four words written on it and they cause my heart to flutter in my chest.

_I miss you already._

There's no signature, no x's and o's, just a very simple line with a whole lot of meaning behind it. The scratchy handwriting seems so appropriate, like something out of a movie as I push the credit card onto the cement countertop to get a better look at the note.

I'm dying inside to tell someone about what happened last night and my mind goes to my best friend. Lucy would be the first person no matter what to hear all of my deepest, darkest secrets and I bite my bottom lip as I ponder what she might say. She would be ecstatic of course, and in this moment I miss her.

I glance at the clock and the thought crosses my mind that if I drove to her, against my better judgement, I'd have plenty of time to make it to work. I could leave Charles a note and take whatever ridiculously overpriced car he'd left me the keys to. A rationalization is that I need my phone anyway, I've been without it for two days.

Without giving myself a chance to second guess myself I pull the towel from my hair before picking up a pen off of the counter and scribbling a quick note just underneath the one Charles left for me.

_Went to get my phone from Luc, see you soon._

I snatch the keys off the counter and start to walk out the door, but reconsider leaving the credit card when I realize I have no cash or any way to get any if I were to need it. All my cash had been in Lucy's purse the night we got arrested, having left my credit cards at home, and everything was confiscated by the police.

With an audible groan I pick up the black card and stuff it into my jeans pocket, feeling the weight of it there the whole way out to the garage. The spot where he had parked his mustang is empty and I'm glad he didn't choose to leave me that. I hit the unlock button to reveal which car in his collection he'd chosen and the lights to a white Range Rover a few stalls down blink. I raise an eyebrow at the classy choice and a tiny piece of me is jumping for joy inside over it.

Just like the mustang, the Range Rover smells like leather and Charles' cologne with a hint of new car smell. The engine roars to life and I search around for a garage door opener before backing out into the morning sunshine.

The drive takes almost an hour with traffic, but I'd expected nothing less. It's been a long time since I've felt the freedom of being behind the wheel and I didn't know I could miss something so simple so much.

As I near the apartment building my stomach turns. I'm nervous to see Lucy. I'm afraid I'll cave the minute I see her, even though I know I need to give her the chance to explain herself fully. The conversation we had on the phone didn't go very far, and the anger i has felt then is at bay at least for the moment.

I scan the parking lot for any sign of suspicious people before leaving the overpriced vehicle parked, part of me afraid someone on this side of town will try to steal it. I make sure to triple check I've locked it before heading inside and I shiver at the blast of air conditioning that hits me when I enter. I hesitate at the front door of our home, but slip the key in the lock while trying to push any negativity to the back of my mind.

The living room is littered with liquor bottles and the smell of cigarette smoke hangs in the air causing my nose to scrunch with distaste. It looks like I've been gone for a week as I scan over the trash that needs taken out and the laundry strewn about the room.

"Lucy?" I call out, my eyes scanning the apartment that in this moment doesn't feel like home.

"Mia?" I hear her call out from her bedroom and then the sound of feet hitting the floor followed by quick footsteps down the hall. "Mia! Oh thank god." She cries out as she comes running at me. I'm enveloped in a hug before I can even get a word out and instead of giving her the cold shoulder like I'd wanted to, my arms wind around her shoulders and I squeeze her tight. She feels thin against my body, like she hasn't eaten in days. It's been less than forty-eight hours since I saw her last, but she feels different.

"What is all of this?" I motion towards the room around us.

"Sean stayed over last night. I can't sleep here alone without you." Lucy holds me at arms length, her eyes flickering up and down my body. "How are you?" Her arms fall down at her sides and I step further in to grab a glass before turning on the faucet. I gulp down the cold water, trying to figure out what to say before opening my mouth.

"I'm okay." I turn back around to look at her, my back resting against the countertop, and she looks so sad and miserable, red hair a mess hanging down around her face, sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt that looks like it's seen better days. She looks so far from the glamorous girl I know, and the soft spot in me wants to comfort her.

"Please come home."

"I'm still upset with you." My tone is low and her face falls, any hope she'd had at first now gone. "I won't be forever, Luc. This wasn't just some small thing, I could go to prison for this."

"I have an appointment with a lawyer in the morning." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks down at the floor. "He's not great, but it's all I could afford. You could come with me. I can fix this."

"I just came to get my phone." I realize how harsh the words sound as they leave my lips and the look on her face tells me she's about to cry, so she turns and heads back the way she came to the end of the hall where her bedroom is. Moments later she comes back out with my phone in her hands, her eyes puffy and red.

"I'm sorry, I should have given it to that man's assistant when she came, but it slipped my mind."

"It's okay. I'm glad I got to see you." I take the phone from her outstretched hand and flip through my messages and missed calls. Nothing major jumps out at me so I tuck it into my back pocket along with the black card. "Is Sean staying with you until I'm back?" She nods her head and comes into the kitchen and slides up onto the counter top across from me. She fiddles with her hands in her lap, eyes focused on her fingers instead of my face.

"Is he good to you, the guy you're staying with?" I pause for a moment before answering her. An unconscious smile pulls at my lips at the thought of him.

"He's incredible, Luc. You'll love him when you meet."

"He seemed like he cared for you a lot when I called. He didn't question me at all. It was like he dropped everything and ran when I said you needed help."

When I look up at her she's staring at me and the words just come out, there's no way to hold them back as I tell her of last night and watching her expression go from hopeless to happy fills my chest with warmth. Her whole face lights up with a smile as I tell her all about the mind blowing sex and the way he's been so sweet with me since the start. We talk about the first night at Simon and everything that's happened since and for a while it feels like we're okay again. She's my best friend after all. I have no one else to tell.

"I told you rich guys are better in bed, it's a fact." She pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them.

"I don't think it's that he's rich." I tease with a blush.

"Is he packin' below the belt?" Pure surprise washes over my face at her words and she giggles.

"He's not lacking, that's for sure."

"Mia Black, I do believe you're more like me than you'd ever like to admit." I roll my eyes at her and take my phone from my pocket before pulling up a new text thread.

_I have my phone back. Can't wait to see you._

I hit send and nervously await a reply under Lucy's stare. When one doesn't come my heart sinks just a little so I put the phone away again.

"I should probably get going." I say as I realize it's almost eleven and I've been here close to an hour. "Traffic sucked on the way over and I have to work at two." Lucy hops down from the counter top and comes over to wrap me in a tight embrace.

"Don't stay away for long. This is your home too." She kisses my cheek before releasing me and I head towards the door with a heavy heart.

"I'll see you soon." I blow her a kiss before exiting the apartment and making my way back out to the car.


	13. Neil Young

**CHARLES**

A sigh leaves my throat as I stare at the computer screen. The more I try to focus on the words across the document, the more I only see her in front of my eyes. Her brown hair draped over the pillow, the warm skin of her naked thighs under my hand, the way she mumbles incoherent words in her sleep. I shake my head and run a hand over my face before clicking the mouse. I hadn't gotten much sleep, I'd enjoyed watching Mia beside me. 

The real reason for the few hours at the office pops up and I scan the black and white letters, making sure everything is up to my high standards before hitting the print button. I scribble my signature at the bottom of the page and hit the intercom button on the telephone beside me. 

Mia will never hear even a word more about felony charges or doing months in jail. There won't be any fines or community service because luckily, I have many friends in high places. I might have even slipped in a word of leniency for her friend Lucy, just to be on the safe side, though I would never vouch for no repercussions for the redhead simply for the hurt she caused the woman I've grown to care for. She'll do just fine with a misdemeanor on her record, as a reminder of her poor choices. 

Aaron, my assistant, answers the phone after just a second. Even though it's Sunday, I'd called him to come in with me for just a few hours and of course he couldn't say no. 

"Yes, Mr. Coldwell?" I look down at the clock and see it's nearing noon. I'm itching to get home and I'm hoping when I get there Mia is still just as I had left her in my bed, but I know that's unlikely since she has to be at Simon in just a few hours. 

"I've got something I need you to personally hand over to a friend." 

"Of course." The line clicks off and a moment later Aaron is making his way into my office. I seal up the paper in an envelope and stand from my chair before collecting my car keys and cell phone from the top drawer of the steel desk. I hand over the envelope and Aaron holds his hand out to take it from me. 

"Who am I delivering this to?"

"Judge Rolland."

"But, the courthouse is closed today." I can hear the nervousness in his voice so I offer him a warm smile. 

"I've texted you the address on your personal phone. He will be at his home, but it's very important that you see it into his hands and his only." Aaron starts to head for the door after a curt nod of his head and doesn't question his task.

The drive home passes by in a blur and I feel on edge almost, but in the best way possible. I just want to be surrounded by Mia and knowing she will be gone all night pulls at my heart. After last night, I want to do nothing but be consumed by her presence. 

As I pull into my parking spot I see the Range Rover where it had been this morning, but upon closer inspection I see it's been moved and a part of me likes that. She had sent me a text letting me know she had her phone back, but i wouldn't have put it past her friend to hunt down my address to bring it to Mia. I like knowing she felt comfortable enough to take it. 

When I open the door leading to the kitchen from the garage I'm intrigued when I hear the sound of Neil Young flowing through the house from the stereo system in the living room. I round the corner from the kitchen into the living area to see Mia sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the full length mirror, makeup strewn about the floor around her and a curling iron in her hand as she sings along to the music. 

Mia doesn't notice I've come into the room and her voice flows along with Neil's to A Heart of Gold. I don't know how any other man who's come into contact with her ever let her go when I see her like this. Naked legs seem to be a trend for the brunette and the silk floral robe around her has fallen off one shoulder, revealing bare skin and I want to taste every inch of her. Last night was not enough and I can't imagine how much could be. 

A smile forms on her face in the mirror and I can see her eyes lock on me as the song changes to another classic from over two decades ago. 

"You're back." She greets while setting the hot iron down and turning to me. I eye her up and down before stepping over and taking her hands in mine to pull her up off the floor. Her thumb brushes over my bottom lip before pressing a soft kiss there. She goes to pull away but I hold her there for a second longer, my hands trailing down her body and back up underneath the silk. My fingers run along the curve of her ass to the dip of the small of her back. 

"Do you have to go to work?" I tease as my lips run along her jawline and I feel her shiver against me. 

"Did you have to go to work before the sun even came up?" We lock eyes and it's a stalemate. 

"Touché." I release her and she plops back down on the floor to resume getting ready. "Did you eat?" I ask as I take a seat on the edge of the coffee table. 

"I'll eat later when I get a break." Mia brushes off the question and I roll my eyes. 

"We'll get something on the way." I hear her chuckle. 

"I don't need you waiting on me hand and foot." I can sense the slight irritation slipping in to her tone, but she would never outwardly be rude. "You've done enough allowing me to be here."

"I left you the credit card so I wouldn't have to." I fire back with a raised eyebrow. 

"I was under the impression that was for emergencies. Me having not eaten does not qualify." I clasp my hands together in front of me, my elbows resting on my knees and I nod my head. Her stubborn nature is starting to show through and a part of me loves it. I love that she feels comfortable enough to say what she's thinking. 

"How did it go with your roommate?" I change the subject and I see her shoulders relax almost in relief and I wonder what that's about. 

"It was nice to see her." Mia continues curling her hair and once she's satisfied with the way it looks she unplugs the iron and stands up. "I'm going to go change and then I'll be ready to go." My eyes flicker down to the watch on my arm as she disappears up the stairs. If she had a little more time I'd follow her, but I keep my thoughts reigned in and head to the kitchen for a bottle of water. 

Just as I uncap the square bottle of Fiji, my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I pull it out and look at the name flashing across the screen. _Lauren_. I groan inwardly before stepping to the stairs to see if there's any sign of Mia heading back this way and when I see the coast is clear I press the phone to my ear while heading towards the garage. 

"Yes?" I answer, my greeting short and to the point. 

_"You're harder to get on the phone than usual."_ Her voice is warm, familiar, and that irritates me to the core. 

"I'm in the middle of something." As I lean against the Mustang I make sure to keep my focus on the door just in case Mia were to come down. 

_"We need to sit down and talk, Charles. There's a lot to go over. Avoiding me isn't going to make any of this go away."_ I know her words are true, but I've been inside a bubble the last few days. The moment I lay eyes on the fair blonde is when it all falls back down around me. 

"Tomorrow at Ocean Prime. I'll meet you around eleven." 

_"One of our old favorites."_ I can hear the nostalgia in her voice at the mention of a restaurant we spent many nights at not that long ago. 

"I have things to do in the afternoon. It will have to be quick." I snap, allowing her no sentiments on my end. "I have to go." I click the red button on the screen before slipping the phone into my pocket. As I swing open the door to the kitchen I see Mia slipping her purse over her shoulder while coming down the stairs.

The black pencil skirt hugs her curves in all the right places and the sheer, long sleeve black bodysuit covering her top half almost makes me drool. 

"You look delicious." I mumble out as I eye her up and down and the smile that spreads across her face fills my heart, the conversation I'd had a moment ago so far forgotten. My hands find her hips and her arms wind around my neck. I press a kiss to her lips, leaning in with my upper half while dragging her flush against me with my arms. I can feel the smile on her face grow against mine and when I release her, her cheeks are flushed. 

"You sir, really know how to sweep a woman off her feet." Mia teases. 

"I've only just gotten started." I flash her a wink before reaching into my pocket for the car keys. "Let's get going before I drag you upstairs." Her laughter fills the room as she reaches over to shove me in the shoulder on her way by to the garage.

_•••_

"You really don't need to walk me in." Mia repeats for the third time but I had insisted. 

"Maybe I'd like a drink served by my favorite bartender." Her hand is warm in my own and I can't help but think how natural this all feels as we walk together down the busy New York City sidewalk. 

"It will be busy this afternoon. I won't be able to give you any special attention." She teases while giving my hand a squeeze. 

"That's okay, as long as you promise to give it to me later." Her bottom lip finds it's way between her teeth as she blushes and looks down at the cement. Knowing what I do of her now, it starts a fire in my soul that she has no issue surprising me naked in my bed, taking any initiative to get what she wants behind closed doors, but blushes three shades of red and turns speechless at the slightest comment in public. 

Simon is bustling with activity as we enter and I see her boss and another younger gentleman manning the bar. The boss gives Mia a wave and I don't miss the double take as he looks from her to me. I'm not surprised, I'm sure he's wondering what she's doing with me, who wouldn't?

"Afternoon, Mia." The tall, brunette man comes around the bar and holds a hand out to me as Mia places a kiss to my cheek before stepping behind the wood top and tucking her purse underneath. "Jonathan Bates. Forgive me, I don't know your name off hand." His grip is firm and there's something in his eyes I can't place. Is he laying out a challenge, warning me, or just plain skeptical of anyone with his employee? 

"Charles Coldwell." That peaks his interest and he crosses his arms over his chest and nods. 

"Coldwell. I know that name." He thinks over it a moment. "Where do I know that name?"

"Commercial real estate most likely." I look over his shoulder to see Mia chatting with the other man behind the bar. There's a sly smile on his face as he pours a few drinks for an older couple off to his right, but it's obvious his attention is on her. How could it not with the way she looks today? I've never seen him here before and the way he's eyeing her chips away at a nerve that's sensitive today. Lauren's phone call has me more irritable than normal. 

"Ah, a tycoon. Well, it's an honor to have you here. Are you staying?" He gestures towards the bar but by the look on his face I feel like he wants me to do the opposite. 

"I planned to have a drink, thank you." I breeze past him and take up a seat across from Mia and her attention snaps from the suave stranger to me. I find joy in the fact that her eyes sparkle when they land on me and her smile widens. It causes a tightness in the left side of my chest. 

"What are you having, sir?" Mia flirts with a flutter of her eyelashes and I'm enamored. She's got me wrapped around her finger and she doesn't even know it, or maybe she does. 

"Whiskey, -"

"Neat." She finishes for me and I smirk. 

"Good girl." Jonathan comes back around the bar as Mia begins making my drink. 

"You've met Mathias?" Jonathan asks Mia while gesturing towards the new employee and she nods.

"He introduced himself." She passes me the drink and I turn in my seat, feeling like I'm intruding on their conversation as they banter back and forth between orders and scan the crowd looking for any familiar faces. I see a few, but none I'd approach for fear of never being able to get them to stop talking. I finish off the whiskey in a few drinks and stand from my seat. 

"I'll be back a little before ten." I tell Mia as she brushes her her hair behind her ear. 

"You don't have to go." Part of me wants to stay, wants to spend every second I can with her, but life must go on even if she has me so distracted from my real life I don't know my own name anymore. My eyes flicker over her shoulder to the two younger men behind the bar. I push aside any negative thoughts and lean over the bar to press a kiss to her lips, my hand holding her by the side of her face for just a second. 

"Don't walk out alone. I'll come in to get you." I warn, knowing she's had to walk up and down the streets of New York alone in the past, but if anything happened to her on my watch I would never forgive myself. 

"Yes, sir." She mocks with a salute and I give her a side eye before brushing my thumb over her bottom lip and heading for the door.


	14. Lunch

**CHARLES**

When I peel my eyes open the next morning I reach out with just a hint of light coming in through the window to find the side of the bed Mia had occupied the night before empty. My eyes flicker to the clock on the bedside table and I see it nearing six thirty. The alarm hasn't even had a chance to go off yet. I sit up and run my hands over my face, my body stiff from sleeping so hard. 

I'd been out the door earlier than usual the morning before and spent the entire Sunday on the go. After picking Mia up from work we'd come back to the house to order a pizza, eaten what we could in comfortable silence before falling asleep the second we laid down. 

The alarm beeps beside me and I let out a sigh before reaching over to shut it off. When I pick up my phone I see I have multiple emails waiting for my attention and I know it's going to be a busy week. The lunch plans I had made with Lauren cross my mind and I shake my head in annoyance. What I want to do is stay here with the woman who slept in my bed last night and forget all of my responsibilities. 

After a shower I get dressed in the usual dress pants and button down and head for the door to find Mia. As I make my way down the staircase the smell of something cooking greets my nose and the soft sound of an old Bobby Caldwell song drifts through the lower level. Any irritation I was feeling moments before is gone. 

_"I've kept your picture on my shelf, only there to remind myself oh, I have always cared for you."_ Mia sings along to the song, her voice soft I'm assuming to keep from waking me as she hasn't noticed I'm standing here. I'm once again reminded of the magnetic pull she seems to have on me. 

Mia stands with her back to me, a pair of my grey sweatpants covering her bottom half and just a sports bra on her top. Her long brown hair is thrown up into a messy bun and it looks like she hasn't touched it since she woke up, but to me she's never looked better. When she turns around from the stove, frying pan in hand she jumps just a little when she sees me. 

"Jesus, Charles." She breathes out while pointing at me with the spatula in her hand. "You can't sneak up on me like that." 

"I couldn't interrupt, it was all too adorable." I motion towards her, the cooking, the singing, all of it. 

"I thought you might like some breakfast. I made omelettes and bacon." The takes the spatula and places the food onto two plates that rest on the island. 

"You're incredible." I come around the island and place a kiss on the top of her head. I can't remember the last time a woman cooked me anything. "When's work?" I ask her while taking a bite as she hops up onto the island. 

"Noon." I nod, knowing full well I can't make lunch with Lauren and take Mia to work in just an hours time. 

"I've got a meeting at eleven, so you'll need to take the Range and drive yourself. Is that okay?" I choose my words carefully and give off nothing out of the ordinary. She thinks on it for a moment. 

"Sure."

"Though, I will miss seeing you before you go." I reach over and squeeze her thigh. 

"Earlier to work means earlier back," she pauses. "Which means," she eyes me up and down with a playful smirk. "I won't be so tired and fingers crossed you don't work too hard today." My mind wanders to a dark place as I look at her, the breakfast she's cooked forgotten as I set the plate down and slip between her legs. I take her plate from her and do the same with it before dragging her into a deep kiss. Her legs wind around my waist as my hands wander her body before pulling back to look her in the eyes. 

"Coming home is all I'll be looking forward to." It's the truth, I'd rather stay in bed with her all day than do the things that need done but I'll take the time I can get. Though, an idea does strike me. We've spent all of our time inside this house and I haven't shown her what it's like to be with someone who truly appreciates her. 

Tonight, I'll do just that. I look her over, her golden honey eyes, plump lips and long, elegant neck. I want to see her dressed up in an expensive dress, not for work or to go out for a night with her friends, but for me. 

"How early is early?" I question her while backing up and collecting my car keys. 

"I'll be off be five." I feel like a teenager at the thought of taking her out and she catches me staring. Her eyebrow raises and she gives me that look, the look that tells me she wants to know exactly what's on my mind. 

"Then I'll make sure to be home by five-thirty." She hops down and steals one last kiss before I head out the door and even though I wasn't feeling optimistic when I woke up, I am now.

•••

The restaurant I had chosen is surprisingly quiet for lunchtime and when I walk in ten minutes early, it takes no time for me to spot the blonde woman I'm meeting. She's staring down at the phone in her hand but her eyes flicker around the room every few seconds. When her gaze lands on me she places her phone down on the table and stands, her hands reaching down to smooth out the cream colored dress she's wearing. 

"Lauren." I greet her with a kiss to the cheek. 

"It's good to see you, Charles." The look in her eyes tells me she means the words as she releases me from her hold and we both take our seats across from each other. 

I met Lauren Westwood at a dinner party ten years ago. She was a self-made name, she didn't come from money. Her father was an airline pilot and her mother worked part time at a department store while raising two children. 

Lauren and her sister Margot invested every dollar and wealthy New York City connection into starting an interior design business and they've done well for themselves. Now, everyone knows her name. 

The dinner party had been for my company and she was hired to take on one of the office properties. I remember laying eyes on her for the first time just minutes after arriving and she took my breath away. Her smile was radiant as she spoke with a few of my associates and when we were introduced, her voice warmed my lonely, bachelor soul. 

"I went ahead and ordered the Mediterranean chicken for you. You said on the phone you were in a hurry so I thought that might help." I give her a curt nod as I check my phone just in case of any work emergencies before turning my attention to her. 

"Thank you." I clear my throat and lock eyes with her. 

"The boys have been asking about you." I can tell the words feel unnatural for her to say and it's almost as if she regrets them as soon as they leave her lips. 

"Is that what you asked me here to tell me?" My tone is sharp and she shrinks back in her seat. 

"No. No, it's not." 

When she realizes I'm not in the mood for small talk she lets out a soft sigh before reaching down into her bag on the floor. She pulls out a folder and places it on the table. 

"It's all been finalized, they just need your signature." I reach across and snatch the folder up before flipping through the printed words. "All is set for you to keep the Rye property. I'll take the one in Greenwich. The Hampton house has been sold and the money will be split between the two of us." She keeps her voice even, very businesslike as if she's describing her latest project, not the details of our divorce. 

"And the cars, the assets, what of those?" I raise an eyebrow as I flip through and see no mention of any of that on the itemized list.

"I'm okay with you keeping what's at your home, I'll keep what's at mine. There's no need to knit-pick each and every item, but if you would like to—"

"No, that's fine." The waiter steps over at that moment and sets down two plates of identical food. That was always our thing when we went out. We would get the same menu item and enjoy it together. Sometimes it would be our favorite at that particular place, other times we would try something new together. 

Once the young man leaves I pull a pen from my jacket pocket and flip to the last few pages to sign. As I to go to scribble my initials, Lauren reaches out a places a hand over mine. Something about that touch makes me think of Mia and I want nothing more than to see her right now. She makes all the negative disappear, she's all that's good in this world. 

"We tried, didn't we?" Lauren whispers out, her hand still caressing mine. The look on her porcelain faces tells me she wants, no needs, to hear that we gave our marriage every chance in the world. 

"As hard as we could have." I reassure her. She holds my gaze for a moment longer before releasing my hand and turning her attention back to her plate. 

"Will you visit them?" Lauren speaks up long after the paperwork has been put away and the meal is almost finished. I glance down at the Rolex on my wrist and see it's nearing noon. Mia will be on her way to work now. "Charles?" 

"Hm?" I'm brought back to the present by her saying my name. 

"Ben and Caleb. Will you visit them?" I think about the twins, the little blonde haired five year old boys. My chest clenches at the thought of them. I'd been ecstatic when Lauren told me she was pregnant. It was a late pregnancy filled with paranoia that something would go wrong. 

Lauren was in her late thirties at the time and the doctors warned something could go wrong. I'd never imagined myself as a father but the day they were born all that washed away. Who knew that just over four short years later, I'd find out my wife had been having an ongoing affair with a man who worked in my office. He was the biological father to my sons, not me. 

I couldn't blame Lauren, couldn't harbor any hate. I was never home and I wasn't an attentive husband. At the time, my family was just another prop in the life I had been born into. We still loved each other even after the truth came out. I still thought the sun rose and set with her, but I would never be able to give her that piece of me again. 

"I'll visit them." She places her napkin down on the table while nodding her head. 

"Well, we only have the trusts for the boys to work out and then we will go our separate ways, I suppose." I call over the waiter with a raise of my hand and he brings the check without having to ask. They may not be my blood, but I vowed I would always take care of them. 

"I'll set something up and call you." Once the bill has been paid I stand from my chair and fasten my suit jacket. I give Lauren one last look before stepping towards the door and it's almost as if I couldn't breathe in the restaurant. I take a deep breath of fresh air once I'm standing on the sidewalk and almost rip my phone out of my jacket. My fingers tap the buttons at lightening speed as I walk towards my car and I pull up Mia's name. 

I'm taking you out tonight. I'll be home by five-thirty. Don't pick out something to wear until I get there. 

I tuck the phone away and get in the Mustang and my patience feels like a taut rubber band as I wait on traffic to pull out of the parking spot. I've got to do something, some grand gesture that shows Mia I want more than just a fling with her. 

After lunch with Lauren, it's got me thinking about what I would do if Mia wasn't in my life. The impulsive part of me wants to drive to Simon and drag her out and never let her leave my sight again, the other part doesn't want to suffocate her. I don't know if I can live without her now.


	15. Skeletons

**MIA**

Charles had told me not to get dressed for our date until he got here, so after finishing my hair and makeup a while ago, I'm left to twiddle my thumbs while I wait. The text said he'd be home by five-thirty, but the clock on the wall reads a little past six and I'm still waiting. A part me of me wonders if he changed his mind. Charles is punctual. 

I'd thrown on a zip up sweatshirt of his and a pair of jeans shorts of mine to get ready in, and I wear that while I wander the house looking for anything to keep me entertained, anything to try and get to know this person I've come to be so smitten by better. 

The back of the house is lined with windows and I'm only noticing now just how truly beautiful this property is. A rectangular shaped pool stretches from one end of the house to the other and the patio is decorated with fine furnishings just like the inside. I open the door leading out and step into the sunshine and make my way over to the water. I dip my toe in and I'm not surprised it's the perfect temperature. My next day off will consist of this, just this. 

Moments later I'm sitting with my legs submerged in the water while I flip through social media when I hear the door I had come through not long before open and shut. 

"Sorry I'm late." Charles rushes over and places a kiss to the top of my head. The smell of him is still something I love so much. It engulfs me every time he enters the room, not in an overpowering way, but in a way that feels comforting. He had changed since I saw him last and my eyes scan him up and down in the dark charcoal suit with a crisp white button down underneath. He'd left off a tie and the top two buttons of his shirt are open, revealing tan skin at the base of his neck. 

"Hmm it's okay." I mumble against his lips. "I thought maybe you forgot about me."

"I left the office early to pick something up for you and they took longer than I'd anticipated." I arch a brow as I look up at him. "I should have called."

"Spoiling me with gifts are we, Mr. Millionaire?" I can see him roll his eyes as he reaches down and pulls me to my feet by the elbows. 

"What are the millions worth without someone to spoil?" He reaches around and swats my ass playfully. "Nothing. Now come get dressed." Charles pills me back inside the house and on the couch sits a white box with black ribbon tied into a bow on top. Butterflies take flight in my stomach as I reach down to untie the ribbon. 

"You didn't need to—" I pause my hands, feeling slightly awkward. 

"I wanted to." He cuts me off, a very no nonsense tone to his words so I resume what I was doing and lift the lid from the box. My breath catches in my throat as I eye what's inside. 

"Charles." I breathe out as I extend my hand to brush over the soft fabric. The dress is red, a very vivid and beautiful red. I take the dress in my hands and pull it out of the box to reveal it's full shape. It's one sleeved with just a strip of fabric from the top of the bust over one shoulder. 

"You were wearing all black the night I met you with lips the color of cherries." Charles steps up and slips his arms around my middle from behind. One of his hands brushes the hair away from my neck before pressing soft kisses along the exposed skin. "I remember wondering what you'd look like in a dress the same color." My eyes flutter closed as I lean back into his chest, relishing the feel of his lips.

"This is incredible." Once he's released me from his embrace my attention falls on the price tag and my heart sinks. The price of this one item is more than I make in a month. "Charles, no. I can't accept this." I hold the piece of paper up at him. 

"And why can't you?" His eyebrows scrunch. 

"It's too much."

"It can't be if it was my idea. You didn't ask for it." His arms cross over his chest as he eyes me. 

"Charles." I argue. 

"Mia." I open my mouth to press the issue but I can see from the look on his face he's not going to budge. "It's selfish really. You'll be doing more for me wearing it than it'll do for you." I glance back down at the material and start to feel a little giddy even though I keep a cool demeanor on the outside. Charles is a fairytale. 

"None of my shoes will do this dress justice, but I suppose I'll make it work." I hear Charles snicker as he steps out of the room and into the kitchen. When he comes back around the corner he has a smaller box in his hands with matching black ribbon. "Damnit, Charles." I scold while dropping the dress back into the box and turning my head to the side in wonder. I can't help the soft smile that forms. Today I feel like a princess. 

"See, that look right there." A grin spreads across Charles' face as he comes closer. "That's why I wanted to do this. The look on your face." He places the box in my hands and does the honors of untying the bow and lifting the lid so I can see what's inside. 

Charles pulls out some white tissue and a bright red folded storage bag to reveal a pair of Christian Louboutin red bottoms. The sleek black pumps take my breath away and I once again have no words as I stare down into the box. 

"Go change. I'm dying to see you in these." I look up into his face, my own filled with gratitude. I set the box onto the couch beside the dress and latch onto his neck. Charles stumbles just a little and the chuckle that rumbles through his chest makes me happy. 

"I don't know how to thank you." I whisper, my eyes searching his for any answers as to why he did all of this. There's a look in his eyes that tells me he wants to say something, but he swallows and flickers his gaze to the staircase. 

"Go." He tells me again with a smile while pointing that direction. 

**CHARLES**

The moment Mia walks down the stairs in the dress I'd handpicked for her, I feel a tightness in my chest I didn't think I'd ever feel again. She had been gone upstairs for longer than I'd expected and I see why now as she makes her appearance. Hair that had been straightened to perfection and was hanging down in her face when I'd gotten home has been pulled into a sleek ponytail that showcases her exquisite bone structure. The updo fits the dress perfectly. 

If Mia has thought the dress and shoes were too much, she will lose her mind when she sees the third and final surprise I had bought for her. What she's wearing now wasn't what slowed me down from our night out and made me late getting home. The black velvet box in my pocket had. 

"What, does it look okay?" Mia's soft voice pulls me from my thoughts and I snap to attention. She's standing on the second to last stair, her deep maroon painted bottom lip between her teeth almost like she's not sure of herself. The red dress hugs her body like a glove, like it was made for her figure and the six inch stilettos elongate her legs making her look like something not of this world. An angel. 

"You look amazing." I close the gap between us and press a kiss to her cheek. I notice the fact that there's no jewelry on her body at all and a smirk pulls at my lips. She catches me and her eyebrows raise. 

"What's that look for?" I reach into my pocket and pull out the box and her eyes widen. "Charles, no more. I'm serious." She scolds but by the way her lips twitch I know she wants to smile. I flip open the box, ignoring her warning to reveal a pair of diamond Cartier earrings. 

"Please don't fight me on this one." I whisper out to her as one of her hands reaches up to brush across the diamonds. "Put them on." Mia hesitates, but after a moment of silence she pulls them out and slips them in her ears one at a time. I look her over once more from head to toe and a warm smile pulls at my lips. "Let's go." I reach out for her hand but she stays firmly in her place on the step for a moment. 

"I don't know how to thank you." There's an unsureness in her voice and her gaze doesn't meet mine. 

"What for?"

"All of this. No one has ever treated me this way and I'm not sure what I can offer you in return." 

"If I expected something in return Mia, I wouldn't have done any of this to begin with." I squeeze her hand in mine and that seems to reassure her for the moment. It's a shame she's been neglected in this way for so long that a bit of kindness is overwhelming to her. I decide right then and there I'll give her the world she deserves for as long as she'll allow me in her life.

•••

The restaurant is full to the brim by the time we get there and I watch as Mia's eyes dart around the room taking in all of the finely dressed men and women around her. What she doesn't realize as she analyzes a woman in a black cocktail dress bedazzled head to toe in expensive diamonds, is that she fits in exactly as she should with the way she looks tonight. 

Mia holds my hand in hers, my arm pressed against the front of her body as she leans into me as if she's nervous. As we wait for the hostess to scan the list for the reservation I had made earlier this afternoon, I lean in to press a kiss to the spot just under her ear. 

"Are you alright?" I mumble against the soft skin that smells like vanilla and honey. When Mia realizes I've noticed her unease she snaps to attention and flashes me a smirk. 

"Of course." Her eyes scan mine and I rub my thumb over the skin of her knuckle. "I suppose I'm more accustomed to serving the wealthy, not being treated like one myself." She teases. 

After just a few moments of waiting we are taken to our table in the center of the dining area. The table is waiting with an array of hors devours and a few bottles of wine I had hand selected over the phone. I wanted everything to be perfect for Mia the moment she sat down. 

The waiter begins pouring the wine as we take our seats and her eyes light up like a little kid on Christmas morning. 

"We've started you out with our caviar and crème fraîche tartlets and spiced olives. We'll have another round brought to the table in just a few moments." The waiter takes his leave and I over analyze every movement by the brunette across from me as she looks over the fancy little dishes. 

"Do you like caviar?" A laugh leaves her throat as she looks up at me. 

"Do I look like the kind of woman who eats fancy things like this?" The sparkle in her eye warms my heart. 

"Actually, you do." I motion towards her appearance and she blushes.

"I didn't grow up like you, Charles. The fanciest thing I knew as a kid was dinner at the local steakhouse when they had family meals half price." My mouth purses into a thin line as I think of that. Her eyebrows furrow when she sees. "There's no need for pity. I had a good childhood." She ensures me as she takes a sip of wine. 

"I want to know it all." The food is forgotten on my part as my focus hones in on her. 

"Says the man who barely told me what he did for a living." Mia teases but I can hear the truth behind her tone. I let out a sigh. 

"Ask away." Her expression turns to one of intrigue when she realizes I'm giving her the green light. 

"Where are you from?" Mia rests her elbows on the table and places her chin on her palm. 

"Here, next." 

"Where is your family, now?

"My parents are both dead. I have one sister who lives in Newport, California. She took her inheritance and never looked back." Sometimes I envy my sister. Catherine didn't have the patience for the business and she was perfectly content being a kept woman by a man of equal status. 

"But you decided to stay and take over the business." Mia's face is full of curiosity. 

"It was signed over to me before my father's death. He didn't want it to go to his partner and since he owned the majority," I point at myself with my thumb. "I was the lucky winner." 

"Does he still work with you, this partner?" 

"For a while, he did. I think he hoped I wouldn't have the knack for it. I was young and slightly reckless at the time, but when my father died I got my priorities together. When he realized he wasn't going to get his way, he sold his percentage to me."

"What exactly do you do?" Her eyes sparkle which causes me to smile. 

"Now, that is an entirely boring, much more time consuming conversation than I'm afraid we have time for." 

"Why aren't you married?" My eyes widen, a bit surprised by the change in topic and clear my throat. "You're handsome, wealthy, incredibly charming. I don't see the disconnect."

"Living a bachelor lifestyle is much more appealing after your significant other has an affair." I tiptoe around the marriage part and hope she doesn't ask. I don't know where she stands with divorce and I'd hate for it to be a deal breaker. 

"She cheated on you?" There's genuine surprise in her voice as she takes another drink of wine. The fact that she is so genuinely interested in my life is surprising. 

"She did." I pick up my own glass and finish it off in one go. Mia is silent for a moment as she thinks that over. 

"Tell me about her." 

"I'd really rather not." Her head tilts to the side. "Mia, I didn't bring you out tonight to dredge up old skeletons." I can see the sparkle in her eyes dim ever so slightly as she drops her hands into her lap and looks down at the empty plate in front of her. 

"You're right, I'm sorry." 

"Hey," I reach across the table and brush my finger over her cheek. "you can ask me anything you want as long as it's not about her." Mia nods but I can tell she's lost some of her momentum and she makes no move to ask another question. I feel like I've hurt her feelings and I wish I had just told her what she wanted to know. Instead, she asks about my day and tells me all about hers. We are interrupted a few minutes later by the waiter stepping over. 

"Have we decided on entrees?" He looks at me and avoids Mia's gaze altogether. This was normal and tolerated with Lauren, but it seems Mia has other ideas. 

"Yes, I think we will both have the filet mignon with the roasted potatoes and—" Mia reaches across the table and places a hand on my arm. It's second nature to order for her, as Lauren and I always ate the same thing, but I grin when I hear her say otherwise. 

"He will have the steak, I will have the salmon, please." She flashes the waiter a smile and he nods before heading off towards the back of the restaurant. I look at her with a raised brow as she laces her fingers through mine. "I can order for myself, Mr. Millionaire." 

"By all means, I'm glad." 

"Thank you, for this." Mia repeats and I pull her hand to my mouth and place a kiss on her knuckles. If only she knew it were her that deserves the thanking.


	16. View

**CHARLES**

After dinner, we stroll down the sidewalk hand in hand in a comfortable silence. The conversation has been lighthearted most of the evening and I hadn't realized until now just how much I needed this. It has been so long since I've left thoughts of work at the office and just enjoyed life. 

My gaze finds Mia's face and she looks content with a soft smile playing on her painted lips as she looks around the city street at the passing faces and shops. That's one thing I've grown to adore about her. Every sight, ever nuance in the city is exciting. She hasn't grown bitter and jaded by life just yet and I hope she has many more years of that kind of naivety. She gives my hand a subtle squeeze which pulls me from my thoughts and back to the present with her. 

"Everything alright?" She turns to look me over and I nod. 

"Of course." I drag her close and press a kiss to her lips, our feet coming to a halt on the sidewalk. "Come on, I have more in mind for our night out." Mia raises a brow. We walk for quite a while and I start to wonder if the red bottoms I had purchased for Mia were a good idea with as far as we have to go, but she doesn't complain. 

"Where are we going?" The brunette questions after a while. 

"We're almost there, be patient." I tease with a smirk and she rolls her eyes. Not long after, I stop in front of a set of double doors with the letter C as handles on each made of steel. Mia looks from the doors up to the letters sprawling a few stories up. 

COLDWELL ENTERPRISE

Mia looks to me and gets that same curious look on her face as earlier. Without a word I take out a set of keys from my pocket and swipe my card through the box beside the entrance. The doors make a buzzing sound before I reach to open one while guiding Mia inside. 

The ground level is simple. Just a marble front desk with no one behind it at this hour and a few leather couches with a steel coffee table in the middle. Once more, I take Mia's hand and guide her towards the back where an elevator awaits. 

"What are we doing here?" Mia asks as we step inside and I hit the top button. The elevator lurches to attention and within seconds we are climbing floors to the roof. 

"As I said before, patience." I tease before leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. A ripple of excitement travels down my spine as her hands find the front of my jacket while she steps closer, her body now firmly against my own. After a heated kiss, she pulls back and locks eyes with me. If my heart could physically stop without killing me, it would just by the intensity in her stare. 

"If I didn't already say it, you look awfully handsome tonight." A playful smirk forms on her face as her hands slip inside my jacket to rest on my sides over the white dress shirt. Her fingertips draw patterns there that cause a chill to ripple down my spine. The elevator doors cut the moment short as they slide open to reveal the rooftop. Mia pulls her gaze from my face to look out as I place a hand at the small of her back to guide her through. 

"Wow." She breathes out as she takes in the view. The best part about this building is that exact thing. It's why I moved my office from where my father worked on the tenth floor facing the street to the thirtieth where I could look out at this instead. 

Lights shimmer in the moonlight from hundreds of different buildings. Cars pass at a crawl down below but instead of being noisy like the city normally is, it's quiet up here. The rooftop patio is decorated with twinkling white lights and a fountain right in the center. On a night like this, it's an escape from the chaos on ground level. 

"What's this used for?" Mia asks as she steps away from me to explore.

"Corporate parties, mainly." I stuff my hands in my trouser pockets as I follow along behind her. As she rounds the corner by the stone fountain, cc'd she finds a bottle of champagne resting on the ledge and two glasses. "But on rare occasions I like to use it for my own personal benefit." Mia looks at me over her shoulder with a raised brow before she sits down on the edge of the fountain. 

"Oh, so you bring all of your hot dates up here to make them swoon over the skyline?" She teases. I reach for the bottle and pop the top with ease before filling the two glasses. "Do they just fall to their knees at your impressive career and wealth, your empire?" The corners of my lips twitch with a smirk.

"I don't know, are you swooning?" I step closer to where my knees brush her bare legs before leaning down to connect our lips. I take the back of her neck in my hand, the feel of a small laugh vibrating off her lips onto my own. 

"I'm not talking about me." She breathes out as she pulls back and I take a seat beside her. Mia turns to face me, her legs crossed at the ankles as she reaches for a glass and takes a sip of the bubbling liquid. "I'm asking you about your other dates." Normally, I would have an issue with someone prying into my past, but for some reason it doesn't bother me coming from her. 

"There haven't been many of those." I tell her honestly, but that seems to be amusing to her and she rolls her eyes. "What about you, I'm sure you have to carry a stick to beat off all the suitors." She exhales sharply with a laugh. 

"As you said, there haven't been many." Mia takes another sip of her drink and sighs. "Dating hasn't really been all that important to me, unlike some people." 

"That's honestly a surprise." I can't picture a woman like Mia spending her nights alone. 

"I always thought I'd end up with someone like my dad, you know?" She shrugs. "Someone who didn't mind getting his hands dirty or wasn't too proud to admit he wasn't disappointed with playing dress up or shopping at the girly stores. He was good about that with me and my sister."

"Where's your sister now?" After I've asked the question, Mia turns to look out at the view once more with a faraway look in her eyes. Her shoulders raise and fall with a deep breath and her head gives the slightest shake as if she's stifling down some uncomfortable memory. 

"It's hard to say, really." Mia's eyes drop to the ground. "After my dad died she took off. She couldn't handle my mom with the way she'd disappeared inside herself, so Olivia packed her bags and left with her boyfriend." 

"The two of you don't talk?" 

"She sends me an email every now and then. She's still with the same guy and they live the whole 'off the grid' lifestyle." Mia uses her fingers to wrap quotations around the phrase. "She's happy as far as I can tell and that's all that matters." 

"You miss her." I point out just from the tone of her voice. 

"Of course, Olivia was my first true best friend," That faraway look creeps in again. "but enough about that." She shakes off the melancholy and forces a smile. "I won't spoil our night talking about the negative in my life." I stare into her brown orbs before reaching up to brush my fingers against her cheek. 

"So, a guy who gets his hands dirty, huh?" I joke while leaning closer. "I don't want to brag or anything, but I restored Eleanor all by myself." Mia grins as she closes the gap and locks our lips together.

"Show me something." She mumbles against my mouth. 

"Such as?" I raise a brow as she kisses the corner of my lips. 

"I want to see your office." I can feel the smirk form as she ghosts her lips across my skin. Any heavy thoughts from talking about her family seem to be gone, like her mind is entirely elsewhere now. I take her hand and help her to her feet before snatching up the champagne bottle, the glasses forgotten. Halfway to the door, Mia stops and leans down to pull the heels from her feet. 

"Going to make it?" I tease as I reach to take them from her so her hands are free. 

"I know, beauty is pain and all that, but I think my ankles might snap off if I don't take a break." She smiles and it causes my chest to tighten. Fuck me, I'm in trouble with her. 

**MIA**

Could this possibly be the best date I've ever been on? I think so. Not because of Charles's obvious wealth or the incredible building we're standing in, but because of the way he keeps looking at me. The way he seems happier tonight than he has the entire time I've know him. Maybe he hadn't revealed his true self to me before now, it's possible I hadn't known him at all. Every door opened by conversation is a glimpse inside the life of him and nothing I've heard so far has changed my opinion. He's simply incredible. 

"It's just down this hallway." Charles tells me as his hand holds mine. My mind is racing, my stomach turning with butterflies as I think of all the things I want to do with him. Tonight, I want to show him, or at least try to, how much I've come to care. 

As we round the next corner, we come to a door that he slips the keycard into and when it opens, I'm once again blown away by the view. Obviously, the entire space has been designed for that, alone as all the furniture is faced in that direction. It's the same one we had been looking at on the rooftop and it's just as striking as it had been outside. I pull away from his hold on my hand as I step over to look out. 

"You and all of these spectacular views. What are you going to show me next, Mr. Millionaire?" My gaze sweeps around the room, taking in every detail. This is where he spends most of his time, this should tell me all I need to know.

"Anything you want." Charles responds as he stands back by the entrance, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. 

In the center of the room sits a desk that faces away from us, behind it the walls are lined with bookcases stocked full of different titles. Some business related, some more leisure. Two leather couches in a dark charcoal grey color have been placed in the corner with a metal coffee table between them, a kind of sitting area in the massive office. 

"So, this is where you spend your days." My head nods up and down. 

"Nights, too, sometimes." Charles steps further in and makes his way over to the desk where he pulls out the chair and takes a seat. 

"Not too often, I hope." A smirk forms on my lips and by the look on his face, he gets what I mean. 

"Lately, I've had the urge to spend a bit more time at home." His eyes leave my face to scan down my body and I can feel the temperature rise just from that one expression. I take a few steps closer so our knees are almost touching before resting my hands on his legs, bringing our faces just an inch apart. 

"Whys that?" I whisper while brushing my lips against his. The air catches in his throat while one of his hands takes me by the face. 

"I have something to come home to for once." The look on his face is severe. 

Before I can say another word, he drags me in for a kiss that steals the breath right out of my lungs. While his mouth moves against mine, Charles stands from the chair and turns us so I'm between him and the desk. My back hits the wood top as my arms wind around his neck and he waists no time reaching to lift me by the ass to sit on it. With his knee, he pushes mine open and slips between them. 

A satisfied rumble vibrates against my chest as Charles presses against my shoulder with a flat palm, forcing our lips apart. Rough fingertips glide down my arms, the fabric at my waist, further down to the hem of the dress. With my hands planted on the desk behind me, I run my leg up his to rest on his hip. Something about the words he spoke send my brain into a tailspin. Maybe I can't have him forever, maybe our paths crossed just so I can experience this for a little while, but a little while is enough for me right now. 

Charles's gaze drinks in every inch of me as he slips his hands up under the material of my red dress, the tantalizingly slow pace driving me insane. In the dark room, he looks unreal, god-like almost with his chiseled jawline and wide set shoulders. I want to reach out and touch him, but I'm enjoying the feel of his movements too much to interrupt. 

"For once, there's no interruptions." Charles mumbles as he pushes the dress further and I lift my hips so it can slide up under my ass, allowing him a full view of the sheer black panties underneath. Charles steps back as his fingers hook into the edges of the thin material before dragging those down and my heart beats hard enough to feel it in my ears. 

Once those have fallen to the floor, I use my legs to hook around his waist, pulling him back in so we're flush. His lips find mine as my hands dance along his chest, rolling the top button between my first two fingers. I slip my tongue along the seam of his lips and he wastes no time allowing me access as his slips out to dance with mine. 

With locked mouths, I drag my hands down his chest to the top of his trousers where I fumble with the belt, feeling impatient as desire pools in the pit of my stomach. He doesn't offer assistance, just continues to claim my lips as his facial hair scratches against my cheek. It burns, but feels so damn good at the same time. Everything he does for me feels good, the way he kisses, the way he takes care of me, even the way he looks into my eyes, all of it is so good. 

The button of his pants pops open with ease and the second I have access, I slip my hand past the barrier where his cock is already hard and waiting. A groan leaves his mouth, flowing into my own as I wrap my fingers around it. 

"No." He pulls back and looks down, his breath causing his chest to rise and fall in rapid succession. One of his hand locks around my wrist as the other replaces mine on his rigid member. 

"What do you want with me, Charles?" I tease, my voice low as I remember the time in his bedroom when he asked me the same question. That gets a reaction out of him. He reaches up to grab me by the back of the neck while rubbing the head of his cock along my folds. My mouth parts open as the feel of him there sends a tremor through my limbs. 

"Your sweet little ears would catch on fire if I answered that question honestly." Charles leans forward and whispers the words in my ear as he slips the head inside my entrance. I bite down on my bottom lip while squeezing my legs, dragging him closer so he can slip deeper. My head tips back as Charles buries his face in my neck, both of us feeling almost relieved at the sensation. We hadn't had sex since the first time, things kept getting in the way, but right now there's nothing hanging over our heads.

As he slips in and out at a torturously slow pace, I wrap my arms around his neck and hold myself against him, my fingers winding through his hair as he plants his hands flat on the desk on either side of me. My grip tugs gently on the roots as he picks up his pace, driving my body into the metal of the desk hard enough to send a cup holder toppling to the floor, completely forgotten. My eyes snap closed as a cry falls from my lips while his mouth busies itself with kissing along my collarbone, neck, shoulder, any bit of skin he can. 

"Charles—" I whisper as the ball of pleasure in my lower abdomen coils tighter, causing me to lock my knees against his hips. Hearing his name earns me a low groan as he stands up straight and unwinds my arms from around his neck before pushing me back to rest flat on the desk. I stare up at him, my chest heaving, as his hands run down my body to my thighs where he shoves the dress further up out of his way. 

Charles thrusts slow down once more as his hand finds its way between my legs where he uses his thumb to press against my sensitive clit. That one simple touch causes my back to arch, my fingers to grip the edge of the desk as he continues the assault. The feel of him buried inside me, pushing every button possible to drive me crazy while his thumb circles tightly over my sensitive nub has my breath catching, my heart racing, and I feel like I could come undone at any moment. 

I stare up at him through hooded eyes as his pace quickens before propping myself up on my elbows so I can watch. His eyes lock on mine and with just a few more thrusts, my entire world crumbles around me with a cry. My head falls back as the golden ball of pleasure snaps and blooms through my entire body. I can't breathe, I can't see, all I can do is feel as his cock works wonders from inside. I know he's close by the noises coming from his mouth, noises that make me want to cum all over again. I sit up and claim his lips as my legs tremble around his waist. The kiss is sloppy and rushed as his hands lock onto my waist, squeezing so hard I'm sure I'll have bruises, but I couldn't care less, as he groans into my mouth. 

"Fuck." Charles pulls back as his hips twitch and still. My hands wind around to rest on his back and I can feel the heat of his skin through the expensive fabric as well as his rapidly beating heart. "If I wasn't in such good shape I might've just had a heart attack." He mumbles while dropping to rest his forehead against my shoulder. 

"Do I need to call an ambulance?" I tease as I close my eyes and take a breath. 

"Maybe." I can feel him chuckle against me before he pulls back and takes my chin in his grip. His mouth covers mine in a heated kiss before he steps back, leaving me feeling empty as he pulls his briefs and trousers back up. I slip off the desk and situate my dress before reaching across his desk for the box of tissues. I clean up the mess from my inner thighs all while Charles watches me with dark eyes. 

"What?" I whisper while tossing the dirty tissues into the trash can. "My hair is an absolute mess, isn't it?" I go to slip past him where a mirror hangs on the wall, but he snatches me up by the waist, dragging me flush against his chest. 

"Your hair is fine." Charles places a kiss to my forehead while brushing his thumb over my cheek and my heart swells in my chest. The few guys I've had sex with couldn't get far enough away once they'd gotten what they needed and the thought of them kissing my forehead after could make me laugh. 

"You're really something else, you know." My voice comes out soft as I relish the feel of his lips on my skin. 

"How do you mean?" My arms wind around his waist as I tip my head back to look up at his face. 

"You're just," I pause, searching for the right word. "So different from anyone I've ever met." His hands cradle my face as his eyes search mine. "So much kinder, gentler," I rake my gaze over his chest. "Sexier." My bottom lip works it's way between my teeth. 

"Fuck them." The seriousness of his tone surprises me. "Come on." He takes my hand, cutting the conversation short as he leans down to pick up the panties I had lost earlier. Charles smirks while tucking them into the pocket of his trousers and my stomach does a flip. Before we exit the office, he drops to his knees and helps me back into the red bottoms. The break from the shoes helped and I feel like I can make it back to the car without too much trouble. 

"Now where are we going?" I question him as he sets a brisk pace once we've exited the elevator on the ground floor. Charles turns back to look at me, my fingers laced through his, and there's a playful expression on his face. 

"I plan on taking you home and doing everything in my power to erase anyone else you've ever been with from your memory entirely." My heart pounds against my ribcage at the bold statement. I like the sound of that. 

A laugh bubbles out of me as we reach the sidewalk and Charles almost runs flat into someone walking in the opposite direction, causing me to slam into his back as he comes to a sudden halt. The way he raises a hand to keep from tumbling into the man while 'shit, I'm sorry' can be heard from my place behind him, his eyes wide, is so amusing to me. Charles is always so serious, so in control, so to see him joke around is a nice change of pace. 

"Are you distracted, Mr. Millionaire?" I tease as he turns to look back at me with a smile. A real, pure, refreshing smile that spreads across his entire face and meets his eyes. He's a work of art when he smiles like this. 

"I might be a little." He drags me against his side and reaches down to squeeze my ass. A squeal leaves my lips, which only causes me to laugh again just as he gives me a playful swat. I've never seen him this way, so carefree. I didn't know it could get any better with him, but here he is proving me wrong. 

"Who knew sex was the key to getting you to loosen up a little." I shrug my shoulders and the comment earns me a wink as we continue on down the sidewalk towards the car. 

"It's fucking magic, I know." 

"Yes, your cock is." His head whips around, surprise written all over his face and I do nothing but smile innocently. He hadn't expected the vulgar words to come out of my mouth, but it's obvious he likes that they did.

"Good to know." Charles releases my hand before slinging his arm around my shoulders. He places a kiss to the top of my head as we walk and when I latch onto his waist, I'm not sure I've ever felt so light on my feet and heart.


	17. Tom Ford

**MIA**

"You are more than welcome to join me, in fact I would prefer you did." Charles tells me later that evening as I sit in my usual spot perched on the counter top in the kitchen with a pint of mint chip ice cream resting beside me. He stands opposite me with his shoes kicked off leaning against the counter, the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone, giving me a nice view of the lines of his chest as well as a sprinkle of dark hair. 

"Why the Hamptons?" I question as I pop a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth. I'd be lying if I said the thought of getting out of the city with him didn't intrigue me. 

"I'm in the market for a new property." I nod as I think that over. Of course he is. Only someone like Charles would look at the beautiful architecture of the home he resides in and think, _you know, maybe I need a beach house, too._

"I'm not sure I can get the time off work with such short notice." I think of Jonathan, he requires two weeks for anything more than a day free of Simon. 

"I can speak with him, if you'd like." Charles shrugs as if it's nothing and that causes me to roll my eyes. 

"I think you've done more than enough favors since we've known each other." I point out. I'm racking up quite the debt when it comes to favors from Charles. From bailing me out of jail to letting me stay in his home, I can't imagine asking him for even so much as a stick of gum. 

"I'm offering, plus I wouldn't want to spend time at the beach alone. How depressing would that be?" 

"I suppose you're right." I think it over. I've never been on a real trip to the beach, my family could never afford it. The most we could do was a day trip to New Jersey, but I can only remember doing that once or twice when I was too young to enjoy it. 

"It's settled then." Charles nods to himself before capping his own pint of ice cream, butter pecan, and heading to place it in the freezer. "I've got to get some sleep." He mumbles as he comes over to stand between my legs. My lips find his as my arms wind around his neck. I'm taken by surprise when his hands take my hips and drag me off the counter top. A squeal leaves my mouth as I pull back struggling, feeling like I'm going to fall flat on my ass on the tile. 

"You're going to drop me!" I cry out with a giggle as I latch onto his neck like a life raft. 

"That's doubtful." He tightens his grip as he heads for the staircase. 

"My ice cream." I point back behind us where it sits forgotten on the countertop. 

"I'll buy you more tomorrow." Charles silences me with his lips on mine and the last thing on my mind is mint chip. His mouth tastes like his own flavor of ice cream, sweet and delicious causing my stomach to flip-flop. Charles makes it up the stairs, carrying me like I weigh nothing at all, and once we make it to the master bedroom he releases his hold, allowing me to drop down onto my own two feet. 

"Unzip me." I turn so my back is to him as his hands slide up my body to the zipper. Charles drags it down as I hold my hair off to the side. My heart sputters when he leans down to press his lips to the exposed skin of the center of my spine. The dress falls to my feet in a puddle as his arms wind around my waist before dragging me back against his chest. 

"I'm going to take a shower." He whispers against my skin, causing goosebumps to ripple up and down the skin of my arms. It's late, well past midnight by now, but I'm not ready for the night to end just yet. 

Charles lets go and begins unbuttoning the rest of the closed buttons of his shirt. I turn to watch as he uses one hand to pull the bottom hem out of his trousers and I can feel excitement pooling in my lower body. I stand in front of him completely naked before backing up towards the entrance to the bathroom. Charles smirks as he sheds the material covering his upper body and I'm in awe of the way he looks standing in the dark room with nothing more than the moonlight to illuminate his features, a mature, salt and pepper Adonis. No, scratch that, Charles is a modern day Eros. 

"Where do you think you're going?" He questions with a raised brow as I place a hand on the doorframe, my feet making contact with the cool tile of the bathroom. 

"I think a shower sounds nice." I bite my bottom lip as he stalks over, his long legs eating up the distance in no time. 

"That, or you want to tempt me a little more." His hands find my hips as he pushes me further into the room before stepping past to flip the lever inside the shower stall. 

"I would never do such a thing." I play innocent, but that only earns a laugh. 

"Bullshit." Water pours out and it only takes a minute for the room to fill with steam. I watch him as he watches me, his hands working on the belt and trouser buttons. I step into the stall and stand under the spray, letting the water soak my hair as I wipe some of the makeup from my face with my hands. Once Charles is free of his clothes, he steps in with me and claims my mouth in a steamy kiss as the water rains down around us.

___

The next morning, I'm feeling better than ever as I zip around the kitchen, the sound of Stevie Nicks's voice filtering through the stereo system, livening up the house that's usually quiet and cold, as I fix coffee for Charles and myself. 

The first few times Charles had woken or come home to music playing, he seemed disoriented and perplexed, like he couldn't fathom why I would interrupt the silence, but it seems he's grown to appreciate it. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, he'll comment on my choice of artist or mouth the lyrics to himself as he prepares his coffee. 

"Stevie Nicks kind of morning, is it?" I hear his voice call as he steps through the threshold looking delicious as ever in his businessman best. The navy blue suit fits in all of the right places and I find myself gawking as he reaches for the car keys, the jacket stretching over his fit arms and shoulders. 

"Mmm." I mumble as a response as I pick up my steaming coffee mug and take a sip. The words of the song seem all the more meaningful now that he stands in front of me. 

_'She awakens things that he said he thought were dead. He says, are you happy, now? Oh yes, I am, but when it's over, how then will you feel? Will you miss those arms that use to go around you?'_

I hum along as I watch Charles check his phone before coming over to place a kiss on my lips.

"I made coffee." I turn and grab the thermal travel mug I know he likes to take with him to the office. 

"What would I do without you?" He teases while snatching it out of my hand and taking a drink. He seems to be in an exceptionally good mood this morning and that causes a tightness in my chest. Do I make him happy? 

"Your life would be significantly more boring." I press a hand to his cheek, stealing one last kiss before he heads for the door. 

"What time is work?" He questions with his hand on the door handle. 

"Eleven, I'll be back by eight."

"Range keys are in the bowl," With his index finger he points at the island where he'd just grabbed his own set. "Maybe I'll stop in for a drink when I leave the office." 

"I'd like that." With that, he's out the door and a moment later I hear the rumble of Eleanor's engine as he backs out of the garage. Without his presence, my mind begins to wander as I busy myself cleaning up the ice cream container and picking up blankets and other messes from the previous day. 

An hour of mindless picking up passes and just as I've finished stuffing all of the makeup I had used last night back into the zippered bag, I hear the door to the kitchen open. I raise a brow while standing from the floor and making my way towards the sound. Maybe Charles forgot his phone or some important papers. 

"Charles?" I call out as I round the corner, but I'm taken by surprise when I see a woman. Her presence stops me in my tracks. "Oh, um, are you here to see Charles?" I question as I look her over. Being as we've only just started seeing each other, I'm not sure it's my place to greet and tend to his guests. 

The woman is tall and thin, with strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her neck. Everything about her, from head to toe is elegant and mature. A confident, elite woman with perfect pale skin. She seems as surprised to see me as I am to see her and her mouth opens, but closes as she takes in my own appearance, her dainty face tilting to the side. I haven't started getting ready for work yet, so I'm dressed in my usual morning attire, a pair of black leggings and a crewneck sweatshirt with the neck cut out so it hangs off one shoulder, my feet bare. I feel thoroughly underdressed under her scrutinizing stare. 

"Who might you be?" She ignores my question as she steps further into the kitchen and sets her purse and a set of keys down on the cement countertop. Keys. She has keys to Charles's home. 

"I'm Mia." 

"Okay," She draws out like that hadn't answered her question, one hand exaggerating the word with a flip. "What are you doing in my husband's house, Mia?" My heart stops in my chest, my throat tightening as I comprehend what she's just said. 

"Excuse me, your husband?" 

"Yes, I'm Lauren Coldwell. This house belongs to my husband, but you've yet to answer my question." She steps a bit closer and I can smell her perfume. A Tom Ford fragrance, I only know because Lucy uses a knock off version since she can't afford to pay five hundred dollars for a bottle of the real kind. I can't imagine this woman uses a knockoff, no, it's the real thing. It burns my nostrils and causes my stomach to turn. "Well?" She is a picture of everything I'm not. Dressed in tailored white dress pants, a thick white cable knit sweater, and a long, beige coat. I can't imagine how much the shoes on her feet cost, but they look incredibly expensive. Then it hits me full force like being slapped in the face. 

Charles is married. Married. To this woman. She's his wife, Jesus Christ. 

"I'm sorry, I, I wasn't aware Charles was married." My throat clenches as I take a step backwards. "I was just leaving." A laugh leaves her throat, a sarcastic, out of place laugh that sends a current of ice water through my veins. 

"This is incredible. How old are you?" Her eyes narrow as the corners of her mouth twitch. "Twenty? Twenty-five maximum?" 

"I don't think that's any of your business." I snap back. 

"You're fucking my husband, that much is obvious, so I would have to disagree with you." I cross my arms over my chest and do my best to hold my ground, but what ground do I really have? She's his wife and I'm no more than his mistress in her eyes. "My husband is fifty years old, what the hell are you doing with a man old enough to be your father?" 

"Again, none of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me," I turn on my heel, doing my best to keep myself in check just long enough to get out of here. Lauren doesn't follow and I thank god for that because one more comment from her and I'm going to lose the battle and end up crying. I storm into the master bedroom in a whirlwind, my mind racing as I reach for my cell on the bedside table. My hands shake as I unlock the screen. I dial the only number I can and pray there's an answer. I'm afraid I won't be able to speak if she does, my throat aches with stifled emotion. 

_"Mia, hey, what's up?"_ Lucy's voice fills my ear and a sigh of relief leaves my chest. Even if I still harbor resentment for the redhead, she is the one person I know I can count on in a situation like this. 

"Oh, thank god you answered the phone." I whisper out just in case the mysterious Mrs. Millionaire is hovering somewhere in the hall, waiting to hear me break. 

_"Jesus, Mia, what's wrong?"_

"I need you to pick me up. I'm going to text you the address. I need you here now, Lucy." I gulp in a lungful of air. "It's an emergency, okay?" I add, hoping it gets her moving a little faster. 

_"Shit, okay. Did he hurt you? I'll slit his fucking throat, Mia."_ Theres venom in her voice and it's amazing how quickly she can go from concerned best friend to lethal assassin. 

"Not physically." I whisper as I start shoving all of my clothing into the duffel bag Lucy had packed for me not all that long ago. "He's married, Lucy. His wife just showed up. She's right downstairs and I don't know what to do." I hear her let out a sharp exhale and the next thing I know the door to the apartment we share is slamming, I can hear it through the phone. 

_"Sean's here. He's going to drive me."_ I hear her mumble a few words to him in the background. 

"Please, hurry." I pull the phone from my ear long enough to text her the address before slipping my feet into a pair of shoes. 

_"Get out of there Mia. Walk somewhere if you have to, but don't sit inside that house with his wife."_ I can hear Sean start the car and I think over the idea before realizing she's right. It will take thirty minutes at the least for them to get here and I can't hide in this bedroom while the woman of the house sits downstairs. This is her domain, her bedroom, and I'm the intruder. It's only a matter of time before she comes looking for me, what wife wouldn't?

I throw the duffel over my shoulder and look around to make sure I haven't forgotten anything before heading for the door. I'm terrified to face her, but I don't have a choice if I want to leave. 

"Don't leave on my account." Lauren taunts when I make it back down to the kitchen as she sits on a barstool at the island, one leg crossed over the other as she holds her cell phone to her ear. "Yes, Charles I'm just having a lovely conversation with Mia, here. She seemed surprised to see me, as I was to see her." She keeps her steely blue gaze locked on me. "You know, I wondered why it was so hard to get you on the phone, but now I guess I see why." I can't hear what he's saying, but I couldn't care less. I head for the garage, but stop with my hand on the handle. 

"I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused." I whisper out, knowing I have to apologize whether I want to or not. I'm the home wrecker here, not Lauren. I deserve every rude comment, every disgusted stare. I was sleeping with her husband and she came home to find me in her home. I should've known Charles was married, how could he not be? I was so stupid to believe otherwise, so stupid to trust that he was any different than the last few guys I'd dated. I was blinded by his kind words, loving touch, and that sinful smile. 

_"Don't apologize, Mia, just get the hell out. We'll be there soon."_ Lucy tells me. " _You didn't do anything wrong, you didn't even know she existed._ " I ignore her as Lauren stands from her seat, her own phone still pressed to her ear. 

"It was a good attempt, I must admit." Lauren looks me up and down with dismay. "I can see why he appealed to you." I realize as she speaks, Charles is listening to every word from who knows where on the other line. "Rich guy, fancy cars, no ring on his finger, but he has children to think about." I feel sick. I'm going to be sick if I don't create some distance here. Not only does he have a wife, he has kids. Everything has been a lie. It all makes sense as to why he wouldn't speak about his personal life. I was so, so naive. 

Without saying another word, I exit the kitchen and storm out onto the driveway where I feel like I can finally breathe. I gulp in a lungful of air as the tears burn the backs of my eyes and my vision blurs. Why does his driveway have to be so goddamn long? 

_"Are you okay?_ " Lucy's voice is soft, like she doesn't want to push me any further towards the edge of losing my mind. 

"I was so fucking stupid, Lucy." A few tears manage to escape as I finally make it to the end of the drive and key in the code Charles had given me the first day I was here. The steel gate swings open and I keep on walking. I feel so pathetic, walking down a rich suburban street with my possessions in a bag, my heart thoroughly broken. I'm a Lifetime movie, except this is real and the way my heart feels can't be written into a script. 

_"No, you weren't, he was just a really great liar."_

"Oh fuck, Lucy this is so bad." I cry to her as the dam bursts and the tears refuse to be stifled. I had experienced the most incredible time with Charles and I'm only now coming to the realization of how far I let myself fall. 

I continue to walk, trying my hardest to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as Lucy rambles to keep me from sitting down on the curb and crying my heart out. Time passes slow, but soon enough, she's telling me they are turning onto the street I'm on. 

" _I see you."_ Lucy tells me as I see a car coming towards me. I stop walking and click the end call button as I wait for them to pull up. Lucy is out of the passenger seat before Sean can even bring the car to a full stop and before I can say a word, she's wrapping her arms around me. On top of everything I'm feeling, the rush of missing my best friend hits me full force. I had been so caught up in the bubble with Charles, I hadn't let myself think about it. 

"I'm so sorry." She whispers into the side of my face as we stand in the middle of the street. I can't imagine what anyone driving by is thinking, but I can't really bring myself to care all that much. I hold her tight and she doesn't try to pull away, not for a long moment while Sean stands just outside the driver's side door, his elbow resting on the roof. 

"Me too." When Lucy pulls back, she cradled my face in her hands and wipes away the tears with her thumbs. Concern is written all over her features.

"You're an incredible person who didn't deserve this." Her tone is firm. "This isn't your fault, do you understand me?" I hesitate, but nod my head anyway. It might not be, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. "Come on." She takes the duffel from me while grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the car. I slide into the backseat as she gets back into the passenger and I meet Sean's gaze in the rear view mirror. 

"Thanks for coming to get me." I tell him, my voice low as I prop my elbow on the window and rest my head in my hand. 

"Don't worry about it." His smile is kind. "Guys are fucking trash, Mia. Don't beat yourself up over it." I nod as Lucy turns in her seat and reaches back to place her hand on my knee. As she does so, the sound of a rumbling engine catches my attention and I turn to see the silver Mustang I know so well coming down the street. Charles. 

"We have to go." I choke out as he gets closer. 

"Is that him?" Lucy reaches for the door handle, but I lean forward to grab her arm. 

"Don't." I plead. "Just drive." Instead of climbing from the car to confront Charles in the middle of the street, she rolls down the window and holds her hand out, middle finger waving high as he passes. I watch as Charles taps the brakes, but Sean puts the car in reverse and turns around before anything else can happen. A heavy sigh leaves my chest as I stare out the window at the passing scenery.


	18. Liar

**CHARLES**

"What the hell were you thinking, Charles?" Lauren asks as I stare at her, my arms crossed over my chest. It was all I could do to keep myself in check when I had arrived to find her still here. "She's young enough to be your adult child." My eyes narrow as she stands from the barstool and comes closer, resting her hip against the island as her steel blue gaze locks onto me. "You know she was only here for one thing." 

"What might that be?" I snap. 

"Come on, Charles. You know a woman like that looks at you and sees dollar signs. No one her age is going to want to spend their life with someone that much older, be realistic, here." She pleads, trying to make me see reason, but all I see is red. I'm angry because I can't believe I never saw how much of a self-centered bitch she can be, or how judgmental, how flat out vindictive. Before this, we could've had a civil relationship, now I want her out of my life for good. She might just have cost me the one good thing I had left. 

"You couldn't stand for one second that I might have someone in my life who actually made me feel something who wasn't you. Admit it." I seethe as I take a step towards her. "You got what you wanted from me. You got half of everything, left me in this fucking house alone because you couldn't be faithful, and now you want to come here and chase off the one person who made my days a little less miserable? How fucking dare you." 

Lauren takes a step back as her mouth curves into a frown. She hadn't expected so much hostility, that's obvious by the fact that she stayed here until I got home. She should've left, got as far from my sight as possible. Maybe, she didn't realize just how much Mia means to me. She's not a one night stand or someone I call when I need to fuck my rage out, she's the person I want to talk to after a long day, the person I want to make smile when I feel out of sorts with myself. Now, she's gone. 

"You're delusional." She breathes out. "She would've taken everything from you if you gave her the opportunity. I'm only trying to watch out for you."

"Oh, like you did?" Lauren says nothing, clearly shocked by my bold question. "What do you know? You don't know a goddamn thing about anything." 

"I know that women who come from nothing will risk everything to gain a foothold in the world. I know that even if you can't see it, you were sucked in by some cute charm and a tight, young ass." I reach for my cell and try to send Mia a text, but it won't go through which means one thing— she's blocked my phone number. Fuck. "Charles," Lauren reaches out and rests her hand on my arm but I step away as if I've been burned. 

"Don't touch me." 

"I'm only looking out for you. You know I still care, you were and still are a very important person in my life. Think of the boys." I picture them now, the twins I thought were mine, but aren't. Not really. They may know me as their father now, but one day the truth will come to light and they'll choose the one that shares their blood over me. What will I be left with then? This empty house and whole lot of nothing to go with it. "You've got to think of your reputation, what would people think if they saw you with a woman that young?" 

"That's not your concern, Lauren. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks about my personal life." She stares at me for a long moment, knowing well that nothing has ever been more true. "Just get out." I mumble, the wind thoroughly knocked out of my sails. 

If Mia has blocked my number, then her mind is made up. She doesn't want to hear what I have to say. Lauren goes to open her mouth, but I turn to give her a cold stare, my face hard as stone. She knows better than to push me any further, so instead she reaches for her purse and heads for the door. 

"I came by to tell you about the preschool play the school is putting on next Friday. I thought you might like to come." I listen to the words without giving her a response, my heart clenching inside my chest. "I'll give your assistant the details in case you decide you'd like to." With that, she exits the kitchen and I'm left alone in silence.

___

**MIA**

Simon is packed with the usual lunch crowd by the time I make it in. Lovely, just what I wanted to deal with only hours after finding out the devastating news. I couldn't miss work, Jonathan would've written me up for calling in so close to my scheduled shift, so I had sat on the floor of the shower and cried for what felt like forever before convincing myself that I could do this. I could make it through eight hours of work because I'm off tomorrow. Tomorrow I can sulk, but today life has to come first. Maybe a distraction will do me some good. 

"Hey, Mia, you feeling okay?" Jonathan asks as I step around the bar and place my purse underneath. 

"Of course, why do you ask?" I raise a brow even though I know the answer. I hadn't put as much effort into my appearance as normal and my hair is pulled into a tight round bun on top of my head instead of down in waves like most days. 

"No reason." Jonathan turns back to his customer as I key in my employee numbers on the screen and mentally prepared myself for the evening to come. I busy myself with customers, forcing a fake smile that doesn't meet my eyes, but the patrons don't seem to notice. They don't care if my heart aches in my chest or if I have a constant sick feeling in my stomach, they just care if their drink is made to their standard. 

"I spoke with your friend, Mr. Coldwell this morning." My heart clenches at the sound of his name. I turn to Jonathan with a soft sigh. "He told me about the dates you need off next week. I approved them, you're free to go." 

"Thank you, Jonathan, but there's been a change of plans. I won't need those days off." My voice isn't as strong as I would like for it to be and he seems to notice. 

"I've already covered your shifts, so either way you won't need to work." I think that over. I can't afford to miss any days, but if he's not offering then I'm not sure what I can do. 

"If any extra shifts come available, will you call me first?" Jonathan holds my gaze and I almost want to fidget under his stare. I don't want my boss to know how hard I'm struggling, but I really wish Charles had listened to me when I told him I couldn't miss work. 

"Sure." Jonathan goes to turn back to his customer, but hesitates. "Are you sure you're alright?" My hands clench and unclench with tension as I give him a curt nod. 

"Yep, just a weird morning." That seems to satisfy him, so he turns back to what he had been doing before. 

An hour passes as slow as molasses and I'm convinced this is the longest day of my entire life. I can't wrap my head around the fact that it's only noon and I still have seven more hours to go until I'm free. The bar has quieted as the patrons head back to finish off the last half of their day at work and there's only one gentleman sitting at the bar, leaving me bored without much to do. 

While I have a moment, I lean down to take my phone out of my purse, double checking to make sure Jonathan isn't looking, before unlocking the screen. I have a few random texts, most from Lucy checking in to make sure I'm still alive. My fingers type out a quick reply so she doesn't worry before stuffing the phone back under the counter. 

When I pop my head back up, my heart comes to an abrupt stop inside my chest. Here he sits, as still and quiet as a dormouse. I hadn't heard him come in, hadn't heard him sit down while I was distracted, but here he is in the flesh looking as rough as I feel. 

Charles's dress shirt is a bit wrinkled, the sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows. His hair is messy like he's been running his fingers through it and his expression is pained, like he wants to say something but doesn't know where to begin as he stares at me. The intensity is enough to shake me to the core, but I keep calm on the outside. I learned long ago not to give someone who hurt me the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. 

"Can I help you?" I train my gaze on the bar top instead of his face. I can't stand to look into those eyes. 

"Scotch, neat." The sound of his voice makes my stomach turn, but I make his drink anyway with shaky hands and a racing mind. "Mia." He keeps his voice low so as to not draw any attention, but I pretend like I don't hear him. I wish Jonathan would look this way so I could switch him sides, but he's in deep conversation with the man sitting at the other end. "Mia, look at me." I can feel the angry tears burning at the backs of my eyes as I turn to do as he says. I don't know why I'm complying, but his presence has that affect on me. "It's not what you think."

"What I think, Charles, is that you're a liar." He bows his head, knowing the words are true and there's nothing he can say to deny them. 

"That's fair." I'm a bit surprised by his lack of rebuttal. "Will you let me explain?" 

"All I need to know is that you had an entire life you didn't tell me about, a wife and kids." I snap while setting his glass down a little too forcefully. The liquid sloshes out, covering the bar with a mess but I couldn't care any less.

"An _ex-_ wife." That causes me to pause. "I'm sure Lauren failed to mention that we finalized our divorce papers yesterday. We haven't been a couple in a very long time." 

"Then why did you lie to me about it?" I cross my arms over my chest. 

"I didn't." He defends, but I'm in no mood. 

"Lying by omission is still lying. We talked about past relationships, I tried to get you to open up, but you wouldn't." Charles runs a hand over his jaw. "Do you have any idea how humiliated I was today? How hurt?" My heart sinks as I look at him. I saw so many things when I would look upon his face before, now I just feel sadness and anger. "You were fucking me while you were married to someone else, no wonder you're getting divorced." The words fall from my mouth before I can stop them. My voice is low so Jonathan can't hear. 

"Okay, I deserve that." His acceptance only irritates me further. 

"And I deserved better than to be the one you slept with behind closed doors, a cheap slut. Your wife deserved better than being cheated on, too." That seems to get his attention. 

"You don't know anything about my wife." His tone is surprisingly hostile. "She's not the person you think."

"A pompous bitch? No, I think I'm right about that. You two deserve each other." 

"I wish you would hear me out." I shake my head as I take a step back. 

"You should go." I whisper while looking down at the floor. 

"Mia, please, listen to me." 

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say, Charles." I reach towards the bar and snatch the glass from in front of him. "You're not welcome here any more." I know it's not my place, I definitely don't have the authority to turn anyone who pays good money to be here away, but it feels good to say it out loud to his face.

"Mia—"

"Just go." My voice raises a few octaves and that gets Jonathan's attention. I glanced over at him, hoping he will leave it be, but he comes over to see what the interruption is about. 

"Everything okay?" Jonathan looks from me to Charles while crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Yes, Jonathan, everything is fine." I tell him with a tight lipped smile. 

"Mr. Coldwell, it's good to see you again." Charles says nothing, just stares hard at me before pushing back the barstool and standing. 

"Likewise, I was just leaving." I keep my gaze on the ground as he leaves and once the door has slammed shut behind him, I feel like I can breathe again. 

"Mind explaining what that was about?" Jonathan raises a brow and I clasp my hands together in front of me. 

"Nothing, really." I whisper. "It's nothing." 

"You know, regardless of your personal relationships, other guests can't see you treating customers that way." Jonathan's tone is firm and boss-like. 

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." I feel ashamed for letting myself lose control while at work and I know Jonathan is right. Our customers wouldn't tolerate hearing me speak to someone that way, and the only reason I had gotten away with it is because there's no one here, really to listen in. 

"Keep that stuff outside of my business." He doesn't say anything else, just turns and heads back down to the other end of the bar. I feel stupid and hurt, but most of all I feel disappointed in myself for allowing a man like Charles into my life, for letting myself care after keeping my heart guarded for so long.

___

By the time I make it back to the apartment, Lucy is whirling around the kitchen cutting up vegetables for a salad while pasta boils in a pot on the stove. Sean sits on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table as he watches a sports game on the television. 

"I'm making chicken Alfredo." Lucy tells me as I set my purse down on the counter and kick my shoes off.

"I'm not all that hungry." 

"It's your first night back home. I know your heart hurts, but we're going to sit down and eat a meal together and the carbs are going to erase any thoughts of lying assholes from your mind." She turns to flash me a warm smile, but when she sees me barely hanging on, she drops the knife and comes over to wrap her arms around me. "Oh, Mia." She breathes out into my hair. 

"He came to see me." 

"That fucker showed up at Simon?" Her voice is full of disbelief as she pulls back to hold me at arms length. I nod and her eyes widen. "The nerve some men have is fucking astounding to me." Her words get Sean's attention and he comes over to lean against the countertop. 

"You know, I've got friends who could see to him leaving you alone for good." When I look up at him, there's a teasing smile on his lips. I know he's kidding, but the fact that he would offer is sweet.

"Thanks, Sean, but I think it's best if I just leave it alone." He nods and heads over to the refrigerator where he pulls out a chilled bottle of tequila. I keep telling myself I didn't know Charles long enough to be that upset. I can move on, its going to be okay, but something about him was so different from everyone else I've ever met. I cared for him, more than I want to admit now. 

"Well, the only other way to mend a broken heart, aside from revenge, is getting plastered." He pulls a few shot glasses out of the cabinet before setting its all in front of me. "Care to do the honors?" I think that over. The last time I drank with Lucy, I ended up in jail, but whats the harm when we're in the safety of our own apartment?

"I'd love to." I take the bottle from him and pour the liquid into the three waiting shot glasses before distributing them to the other two. 

"To living life without men holding us back, except for Sean of course because he's the best." Lucy raises her glass and I follow suit. Sean chuckles while holding his own up and the three of us clink them together before shooting back the vile liquid. I reach for the bottle without waiting a beat and that earns a grin from my best friend. 

"Hey, I'm off tomorrow. I can afford a hangover." I shrug while quickly downing another shot. 

"I like the way you think." She takes the bottle from me before taking a long pull straight from it. "Come on, lets move this party somewhere a bit more lively." 

"What?" 

"We're going out." The redhead moves to the door where her shoes are lined up and she slips into a pair of simple black heels. Sean turns to the stove and cuts off the heat to the pan of boiling water before reaching for his coat. It doesn't take much to convince him, he would follow Lucy to the ends of the earth, but after the last time I'm not so sure.

"I don't know about that, Lucy. Maybe we should just hang out here." 

"No drugs, I promise." Her face turns serious. "I won't fuck up again, Mia. You have my word. We're just taking you out to have a good time and thats it." I think it over, but hell, why not? If getting out and having some fun gets my mind off of a certain someone, I'm willing to try it. 

"Okay." I nod while reaching for my own coat. "Let's go."


	19. Planning

**MIA**

By the time we make it to the bar, the tequila shots we had taken at home have kicked in and I have a pretty decent buzz. One that makes me feel like maybe life isn't so bad. Lucy keeps her hand firmly laced through my own as we make our way through the crowd with Sean leading the way. His height makes it easy to find a clear path and when we reach the bar, I'm beyond ready for a drink. 

"What are we having?" Sean asks as he rests his elbow on the wood top. 

"We're only drinking tequila tonight." Lucy speaks up without giving me a chance to answer, but I'm not mad about her choice. "That okay?" She turns to me. 

"I'm good with it." Sean orders the drinks and before I know it, we're two rounds in and all I want to do is let go. Lucy grabs my hand once more and we head onto the dance floor where she wastes no time raising her hands in the air to move her body with the pumping beat. 

Sean stands by the bar, his eyes scanning the crowd as he sips on a mixed drink. I don't miss the way his gaze lingers on my redheaded best friend, the way he's always drawn back to her as she moves. I'm not sure why Lucy has never given him a shot because I can see the longing look every time he looks this way. 

"Lucy," I take her by the shoulders after a few songs. "Go talk to Sean." I mumble in her ear so she can hear me over the music. 

"What?" Her eyes are hooded from the alcohol and she looks throughly confused. 

"Sean, go." I try to push her in his direction, but she plants her feet on the floor. 

"I'm here with you, Mia. I don't care about guys, tonight." I roll my eyes at her stubbornness. 

"I'm capable of taking care of myself for a little while. He's dying over there, seriously." Lucy turns to look at him over her shoulder and when they lock eyes, he grins a sweet kind of grin. Like everyone, he's smitten by her. Whether or not she's messed around with him, I don't know, but I can see that he's dying to have some of her attention in the crowded room. "Go!" She giggles while nodding. Maybe because my own heart hurts, but I want her to be with someone who appreciates her. Sean has been by her side since we moved to the city, being whoever she needs— a business partner, a friend, and anything in between. 

"Fine, but don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a minute." 

"I'll be here!" I call after her as she heads over to where Sean stands. I want her to be happy. I know someone like Sean could do that for her. He's just as strong willed, meaning he could handle her over-the-top personality, easily. He's also kind which is so rare to find these days. 

Now that I'm in my own, I head further into the crowd, bobbing my head to the beat, every negative thing forgotten as I sink into the thick of it. Being surrounded by people like this is an easy way to escape. How can you not smile when everyone around you is having the time of their lives listening to good music while the alcohol flows?

Arms wind around my waist from behind and I turn to look over my shoulder at a tall, light haired guy around my age. His face is clean shaven and young looking. Our bodies mold together as we move to the beat of the song and I close my eyes, allowing myself to get lost in it all while leaning back into his chest. This is exactly the kind of distraction I needed.

"I've been watching you since you got here." The stranger mumbles in my ear, his words slightly slurred from alcohol or drugs, I can't tell which. I really don't care which. 

"Yeah?" I slip around so I can face him and place one arm around his neck. He leans down and runs the tip of his nose along my cheek and my eyes close as I relish in the attention. 

"Yeah, you're hot as hell." Our bodies continue to sway with the beat. I couldn't care less if he's been eying me, all I care about is forgetting. 

I look up at him through hooded eyes and take in his boyish features. He's around my age, but his jawline isn't sharp like I'm usually attracted to and his eyes are soft. They're light, a mix of green and blue, no laugh lines, no slight wrinkles around his lips. We dance together for what feels like hours as I let myself feel nothing, the alcohol erasing my troubles as I press against his warm body. We are interrupted by someone latching onto my arm and I turn to see Lucy with Sean tagging along behind, his arm loosely wrapped around her waist. 

"Who's this?" She questions over the music with a smirk. 

"I'm Andrew." The blonde behind me speaks while giving my two friends a sloppy wave, his hands firmly planted on my hips. 

"Come on, we've got shots waiting at the bar." Lucy tells us before taking my hand and dragging me along back through the crowd. The bartender is just finishing up a round of Jose Cuervo and the four of us snatch them up like it's liquid gold.

___

You know that feeling when you start drinking and everything bad in your life just fades away? That's what I've felt for the last few hours as we dance and drink the night away. The only problem with that feeling though, is that at some point everything comes rushing back and suddenly that free feeling is gone. It usually happens when you're least expecting it and it's like having an out of body experience as the sadness creeps in and the weight of the world crushes down on your shoulders. 

I get that feeling as I'm standing at the bar waiting for my next drink, a tequila mojito. We switched from shots to drinks after our vision started tunneling and I knew we would all be headed home soon if we kept going at that pace. Andrew stands beside me as he waits for his beer, his arm still around my waist. Suddenly, I don't want the drink. I want air. 

"I'm going to step outside." I lean up to tell him in his ear. 

"You want some company?" His gaze doesn't linger on me, it bounces around the club in search of who knows what. 

"No, thanks though." I slip away without another word and make sure to stop by the dance floor where Sean and Lucy are locked in each other's arms. "I'm going to step out." 

"Don't wander." Lucy calls out over the music. "Stay by the entrance or you'll get kidnapped." I know she's kidding, but it causes me to roll my eyes. 

"Okay, mom." She waves a flippant hand at me before I turn to head for the exit.

Once I get outside, I suck in a long, deep breath as I stare out at the street. Cars pass by at a crawl, pedestrians mill about the sidewalks and I wish I could be a part of the normal, but I feel anything but, tonight. The cell phone in my back pocket is like a weight and without giving the intelligent part of my brain time to protest, I pull it out and scroll to the one name I shouldn't. I hit the unblock button and the phone begins dinging with incoming texts I had missed because of it. 

After spending all of my free time with Charles over the last week, it feels weird to be without him. Just one day ago we were sharing one of the best nights I've had since coming to the city, but now all of that is gone. 

_9:37 am —I've tried calling, but you're not answering. You have every reason to be upset with me, but please let me explain._

_11:09 am —I know you've blocked my number now, but I'm hoping you will change your mind about that and call me. I'll be waiting by the phone. If I don't hear from you, I'm coming to Simon, anyway._

_3:46 pm —Mia, please send me a text to at least let me know you're okay. I don't want to end things on this note. I don't want to end things at all. If you'd just give me the chance to explain, then you can decide, but don't do it without all of the facts._

_7:12 pm —If you get this, I want you to know you mean more to me than just a slut I fucked behind my wife's back. That's not what you are. You're a fucking beacon of light in this miserable existence and I'm afraid I can't take losing you. Not this way, Mia._

I should have let it go. I should've kept his number blocked because now my mind is a whirlwind of different thoughts. Maybe, Charles didn't intend for me to find out the way I did. Maybe, he planned to tell me about his family all along, but didn't because we had only been seeing each other less than a month. I start to rationalize all of it in my mind and thanks to the alcohol, I'm hitting the little green call button without giving myself a second to back out. 

_"Finally._ " Charles doesn't greet me with pleasantries and a sigh escapes my lips when I hear his voice. _"Mia, I'm so fucking sorry you found out that way. Lauren had no right to talk to you the way she did. She doesn't know anything about me, not anymore."_ I don't know what to say. I don't know why I even called, so I say nothing at all as I lean against the brick of the club and look up at the sky. _"Mia, are you there?"_

"Yeah." My voice sounds small, barely heard over the car engines and chitchat on the street. 

" _Where are you? I want to talk about this in person."_

"I don't think that's a good idea." I mumble out as my eyes flutter closed, the weight of them heavy from all the tequila. 

" _Have you been drinking?"_

"Mmmhm." 

" _Where?"_ His tone is firm, but I have no interest in giving him what he wants. 

"It doesn't matter." My chest squeezes tight as I think about the previous nights spent wrapped up in his bedsheets. I picture him coming in from a night at the office, his fingers unbuttoning a well fitted dress shirt as he comes closer before pressing a kiss to my lips. The way he would smile at me when he came in from the garage as I cooked food in the kitchen, the way his hands always held my face when he kissed me. I wanted all of that. I wanted it for more than theshort time I had it. 

_"I'll come get you, just tell me where you are._ " He's pleading with me, but I refuse to give in. _"You can yell if you want to, tell me I'm a piece of shit for keeping secrets, I don't care. I'll take it. I'm man enough to take what I deserve."_

My whole life I've steered clear of this kind of relationship. I've watched Lucy be played by men left and right, though she's much more resilient than I am. Lucy wouldn't let this kind of thing bring her down. She would go out, get drunk, and meet someone new. She wouldn't cry or pine for what she almost had— something that wasn't even a real relationship. All it was really, was a few weeks of fun. So, why do I feel this way?

"I don't think so, Charles." I whisper. Even the alcohol can't convince me to make that mistake. The second I see his face in the state I'm in, I'll go against all of my instincts just to feel him again. "I don't want to yell at you. I'm not angry, I'm– I'm," I hesitate. "I'm not sure what I am."

" _Mia—"_

"I should go." We are both silent for a moment, neither of us really knowing what to say to the other. I don't know if this is goodbye— it feels like it is. It feels like something big is coming to an end. Before I can think of a proper way to end the call, the door to the club slams open and the sound of Lucy's laugh filters out just before three familiar figures step out onto the sidewalk. 

"Mia, I was looking for you!" Lucy's sing-song drunken voice calls out as she drags Sean along behind her. The stranger from the dance floor, Andrew brings up the rear looking worse for wear as he stumbles along. "Are you on the phone? Who are you talking to?" Her eyes narrow, but they're shifty which tells me she's drunk as can be. 

"Nobody." I tell her. "Charles, I have to go." I whisper into the phone, but he says my name again, anchoring the cell to my ear. 

_"Please, don't end things this way."_

"Tell me you did not call him!" Lucy accuses as she reaches me. Her hand waves wildly as she tries to take my phone, but I walk backwards to keep myself out of her grasp. "Mia!" The redhead scolds, her eyes hooded with disbelief. 

"Stop it, Lu." 

_"Tell me where you are right now, Mia."_ Charles demands on the other line, but in a fit of irritation from Lucy yelling and him talking in my ear, I rip the phone away and end the call. 

"Why would you call him?" Lucy slurs. I watch as Andrew leans against a street lamp and places a hand on his stomach as if he's going to vomit. I can't watch this. I can't be here. I need to go home. 

"I'm heading back." I avert my gaze from the nauseas stranger, but Lucy grips onto my hand to stop me. 

"We're coming with you." Sean speaks up as he passes Andrew by without a second glance. Lucy teeters along beside me as I rush away from the scene, her arm slipping through mine to steady herself halfway down the block. Sean leads the way and before I know it, he's flagging down a cab and we're headed for home, the boyish stranger who made me feel better for just a minute completely forgotten behind us.

___

**CHARLES**

I can't sleep. I've been staring up at the ceiling of the master bedroom since I got off the phone with Mia— a very drunk Mia. It's a bitter pill to swallow to know I pushed her to the point of drinking herself silly, especially after what happened with her so called best friend the last time. I have to remind myself that she's young. Young people go out and indulge. It's one of the most natural activities in the world for someone her age, but that doesn't change the bitter resentment I feel at the thought of someone else getting her attention. I know how men operate. I know how they act when they've had a bit too much to drink. A woman like Mia is a prized catch for some handsy college student. 

The house feels cold and empty without her presence. I use to be okay with that, it was normal for me to come home to nothing, but after experiencing the light that is Mia, not one thing feels right about the silence. My eyes flicker to the place she occupied just the night before. It's made up, untouched, just as she had left it. 

_Fuck it._

Without concern for the hour or the need for sleep, I stand from the bed and reach for one of the leather jackets hanging in the closet. In minutes, I'm sitting in the driver's seat of the mustang with no real destination in mind. I drive. I drive some more. Further on until I'm parked outside her apartment building— the one on the wrong side of town. The one she had been ashamed to show me not that long ago. As if I would care about something as trivial as that. 

I'll sit out here all night if I have to, but one way or the other she's going to talk to me. She's going to listen to what I have to say and then, if she still can't stand to look at me, I'll let her go. I try to convince myself it's that easy as I sit in the car staring at the entrance to the building for any sign of her, but I know deep in my heart it won't be. Mia is like a magnet, drawing me in with just a look, locking me within her gravitational pull. The reason I'm drawn to her is because of her good nature. Women like her don't stick around for a man who lied, who hides the things in his past. 

Time passes at a crawl. I should've gotten a coffee on my way, but I couldn't risk missing her arrive. It's my only chance to speak with her face to face, at least until morning. I know it won't do much good to talk to her while she's intoxicated, but at least I can ensure that she's home safe and sound. Maybe then I can lay down comfortably. 

My eyes burn with exhaustion as I stare at the glass doors that lead inside. I start to think I've already missed them. They must've already headed up before I got here, but I'm a stubborn man, which works in my favor because not ten minutes after I consider I'm wasting my time, does a yellow NYC taxi pull up to the sidewalk. I watch as the redhead, Lucy, stumbles out first followed by a tall, lanky guy. Lastly, out pops the woman on my mind holding a takeout box. That's what had held them up— a post drinking meal of grease and fried something or other. 

Without thinking, I step from the car and call out her name. My voice gets the attention of the redhead first and she whips around, almost falling on the cement in the process, but just as she goes to say something snarky, the man she's with takes her by the arm and pulls her back. He gives me a knowing look as Mia stands stock-still beside him. The man gives me a nod, like he understands, somehow why I'm here even though we don't know each other. 

"Come on, Lu." I hear him tell the redhead. She doesn't want to go, that's obvious, but he pulls her back by the arms, anyway. 

"What are you doing here?" Mia speaks as she shifts her weight from foot to foot. 

"I wanted to make sure you got home okay." 

"We'll be upstairs." Her friend tells her as he pulls open the metal door and pushes Lucy through it all while she stares daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would be bleeding out on the sidewalk right now. 

"I'm capable of taking care of myself." Mia snaps. I'm afraid if she holds on to that styrofoam container any harder, it's going to break and spill its contents onto the ground. I shove my hands in my pockets, not wanting to come off too strong. 

"I know you are." 

"Then why, Charles?" Theres sadness in her voice and it causes the left side of my chest to squeeze. 

"I just needed to see you."

"Well, that's the last thing I needed." Theres resentment in her tone and I'd he lying if I said it didn't hurt. She doesn't want me here, not at all. 

"Come back with me. We can talk about all of this in the morning when you've sobered up. I'll go into work late, we can go to breakfast— anywhere you want to go." Mia stares at me, the wheels turning inside her head. I wish I knew what she's thinking, but she gives nothing away. 

"Go home, Charles." She turns for the door and I feel the hope in my chest pop like a balloon. 

"That's it?" I question while taking a step towards her. I want to drag her to the car and force her to listen, but obviously I can't very well kidnap her against her will. 

"There's nothing left to say." Mia shrugs her shoulders, a frown turning her lips down. "Goodnight, Charles." She turns her back and doesn't offer me anything more as she reaches for the door handle. I watch her disappear as she climbs the staircase and I feel like losing my mind, but I know the only thing that can fix this situation is a level head. So, I head back to the car and begin planning a way to win her back.


	20. Open Book

**MIA**

A week passes in a monotonous kind of way. Wake up, go to work before my unnecessary hiatus, come home, sleep and repeat. Lucy doesn't speak about Charles, she doesn't try to push me to open up, instead she helps me get back into a normal routine to keep myself occupied. The routine we use to share before things changed. Before I met him. Thanks to the call Charles made to Jonathan, I don't have work later in the week to keep me occupied, so I've been binge watching trash reality shows on television when I have nothing better to do. Anything to keep my thoughts from wandering. 

Charles doesn't call or text. It's like he wasn't even there to begin with, just a figment of my imagination. That all changes on the seventh day when I'm sitting on the couch in my pajamas, home alone while Lucy does some shopping. When I answer the door, a kind looking older man stands on the other side with a small package in his hand. 

"For a Miss Mia Black." He holds out a clipboard and I scribble my signature before taking the box and heading back inside. 

When I open the package, I find a neatly wrapped smaller sized box with the Coldwell emblem stamped onto the front. My stomach does a nervous flip as I unwrap it. Inside lies a DVD, Gone in 60 Seconds. The film that features the car of his I love so much, the one we had watched the first night I stayed at his home. There's no note, no words from him at all and I'm a bit thrown. Irritation courses through my veins as I shove everything back in the box and toss it into the trash without giving myself a chance to think twice. 

On the second day, much like the first, the same gentleman knocks on the door while I'm cleaning the kitchen. This time, inside the box is a mint condition Neil Young album on vinyl. It's a vintage version in pristine condition. The songs on this album are ones I played on repeat in his home. This time, I let it lay on the kitchen counter instead of tossing it. Every time I come through, my gaze lands right where it rests. Lucy doesn't ask, so I don't mention where it came from. 

The third day, the delivery man named Joe, who I'm on a first name basis with after the second delivery, catches my attention outside the entrance on my way in from a run. Package number three contains the Louboutin's Charles gifted me the night of our date. I had left them beside the bed right where I had taken them off, not seeing any need for such fancy shoes anymore. The red bottoms cost too much money as a gift, so in no way did I feel entitled to take them. 

By day four, I'm almost looking forward to the gifts. With the passing of time, the sadness has dulled and the sting of Lauren's words don't hurt as much when I think of them. What will Charles come up with next to try and win me back? Not once does he text or call. Instead, he lets the presents do the talking. The fourth package contains a bottle of the cologne he wears that makes my stomach flip along with a bouquet of red roses. There were so many of the flowers I could barely see Joe on the other side of them. The cologne is warm and masculine with a hint of spice. It fills my chest with a sense of longing when I uncap the bottle and breathe it in. That night, I sprayed it on my pillow and slept better than I have since our date. 

Day five and six contained simple items, nothing extravagant, just little memoirs to remind me of our short time together. On the fifth day, I moved all of the gifts into my bedroom. Day seven offered something very different, something that made my heart stop in my chest when I opened the box— keys. Car keys to be exact. Ones I recognize without even having to think about it. The keys to Eleanor. Underneath them lies a piece of paper, an ownership title with my name and Charles's signature. 

"Jesus Christ." I breathe out to myself as I stand in the kitchen, a hand raising to rest over my heart where the organ beats out of control. "No, absolutely not." I snatch up my cell phone with lightening speed and dial his number. 

_"I assume you've received your final present?"_ His tone is so nonchalant I want to climb through the phone and slap him. 

"You've got a lot of nerve." I snap as I shove the box away from me. 

_"It's waiting for you downstairs. I can send someone over to give you a crash course in driving a manual."_ I can hear the smirk in his voice. He thinks this is funny. " _I'm in the car on the way back from the Hamptons or I would show you myself."_

"Come get it, Charles. I don't want it." 

_"You love that car."_

"So do you, now come get it, please, before it gets stolen out of the parking lot." 

" _It's insured._ " I let out an aggravated huff while running my hands through my hair. 

"I can't accept that car from you, Charles. I draw the line right here, right now. I won't." Though he can't see it, I stomp my foot to prove my point, even if it's just to myself. 

_"It's not up to you. Anyway, it's done. I filed the paperwork this morning. Eleanor is yours. Do with her what you wish."_

"You've lost your mind." I snap. Who gives away a car that costs that much money? Not a rational, sane person that's for certain. 

_"Maybe, I have."_ It only irritates me further that he acts as if it's not extravagant, like its pennies he's given away. We are both silent on the line for a long moment before he speaks again. _"Have dinner with me."_ This time, his voice is lower, more serious. 

"N—" 

" _Mia,"_ He cuts me off before I can even get the rejection out of my mouth. " _Please, have dinner with me._ " I stare down at the keys inside the box for what feels like forever. His persistence is warming the ice water in my veins. I want to be angry, I want to shout and scream at him, but my heart has another agenda. My heart wants to feel wanted and loved. My heart wants Charles. _"Stop thinking so much and say yes._ " I bite my bottom lip as I consider his offer. 

"Fine, but no dinner."

" _Okay, what do you suggest we talk over?_ " There's a bit of hope in his voice, now. 

"Coffee." I run a hand through my hair as I consider what I'm doing. I don't know if this is a bad idea, but I'm doing it either way. 

" _I can live with that."_

"Good, because it's all you're getting." A smile wants to form on my face, I can feel it tugging at my lips at the thought of sitting down across from Charles, being able to look at his handsome face, again. 

_"I'll see you tomorrow, then? I can pick you up around eleven."_

"Sure, I'll see you then." We say polite goodbyes before I hang up the phone and the second I'm engulfed in silence, the smile wins its battle, so I slap a hand over my mouth, as if that means I can deny what I'm feeling.

___

**CHARLES**

I feel like a giddy school girl as I stare at my reflection in the mirror hanging over the bathroom sink. Mia had been reluctant, but agreed nonetheless. I can work with that. I know I have a massive amount of making up to do where she's concerned, but the fact that she had agreed to meet with me is a start. 

Parting with the mustang was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a last-ditch effort to show her how much she means to me. A bit over the top, yes, but is it a clear message? I think so. Maybe I'm a foolish bastard, that's entirely possible, but the thought of never seeing her again because of my mistake is not something I'm willing to take sitting down. I can buy another car, I can buy ten if I want to, but there's no replacing Mia. 

The drive to her apartment goes quickly, probably because I broke every speed limit from my house to hers. When I pull up, she's standing outside on the curb and I'm reminded of our first date. She looks less enthused than she had that first time, but still beautiful as ever as she comes around to the passenger side without waiting for me to get out and open the door for her. 

"Hi." Mia greets as she slides into the car. She doesn't look my way, instead she glances off out the window where the mustang is parked. So far, so good— it still has all of its tires attached. 

"Hi, yourself." I have to give some credit for her determination at not looking in my direction. I know she wants to by the way she glanced in her peripherals, but her head doesn't turn. "You look beautiful, as always." Ah, there we go. I can see the curve of a smile forming. I feel like a fucking teenager. Just her presence has increased my mood exponentially from the slump I've been in for the last week. 

"I brought these for you." Mia lifts a hand, ignoring my compliment, and drops something jingly in the cup holder. Car keys. 

"They're yours, now. I don't want them." That gets her head to turn, but there's a frown on her face instead of a smile. 

"Well, I don't want them, either." She argues. 

"Then, I guess we should just toss them out the window shouldn't we?" I snatch them up and hit the window button, shoving my hand out with them inside to prove the point, as her eyes go wide as saucers. 

"Don't you dare."

"I don't give a shit about the car. I want you to have it." We stare at each other for a moment, a part of me enjoying this because at least it's getting some kind of reaction out of her instead of radio silence. 

"Fine, I'll sell it, then." Mia sits back in the seat and crosses her arms over her chest. 

"Fair enough. That's your decision to make." Her mouth opens with surprise. 

"You are so _frustrating_." She seethes, her head whipping around once more. "Who gives away a car that costs that much, huh? Only somebody who's out of their goddamn mind. You want me to have it, great. I'm going to sell it and buy myself a piece of shit import with the money, how's that sound?" I can't stop the smirk that forms on my own face as she rambles, arms flailing, face turning red with irritation. She wants to yell and be angry with me about other topics, it's written all over her, so if directing all of that emotion at the car is her way of letting it out, I'm more than happy to listen. "Better yet, I'm going to sell the car and make Joe deliver the money to you in a little box like a present. Wrapped up with a nice little bow and everything." 

"Are you finished?" I raise a brow and place my hand on the gear shift. 

"Yes." Mia mumbles under her breath while relaxing back into the seat. 

"Fantastic, lets get going." I put the car in drive and pull away from the curb. "Who's Joe?" I question after a moment of silent driving. Mia looks up at me with narrowed eyes and I can't help but laugh. Her attempt at being intimidating is comical, it doesn't suit her. "I'm kidding."

___

**MIA**

The coffee shop is quiet and slightly awkward as I sit across from Charles with a cup of steaming cappuccino in front of me. It's untouched for the most part, as my stomach is in knots and I'm not sure what to say. Charles is the first to speak. 

"So, how have you been?" I stare down at the coffee cup like it's the most intriguing thing in the world. 

"I've been good."

"I'm glad." He shifts in his seat, as if he's feeling the same tension I am. Conversation use to flow so easily before, but all of that has changed. "Would you like to speak of the elephant in the cafe?" I glance up and meet his gaze and I almost wish I hadn't. 

"If you'd like." Charles nods his head while keeping that intense stare locked on me. 

"I have been living as a single man for over a year, now." I watch as the fingers on his right hand brush over the ring finger on his left. "Lauren and I separated after I found out she had been having an affair with a man I worked with— a man I trusted. It had been an ongoing thing for months and I was devastated." Charles let's out a long sigh as his gaze moves out the window, as if it's the hardest thing in the world to speak of his past. "We tried to make it work. We went to couples therapy, put in the work of dating each other again to try and reignite that love we had in the beginning, but then I received the worst possible news and I knew there was no saving us." Charles hesitates, as if he doesn't want to say whatever it is out loud. 

"You can tell me." I whisper and he looks to me like those words are the life raft he had been searching for. 

"Ben and Caleb, the children she spoke of the day you met? They aren't mine, not really." My heart sinks into my chest as I realize the gravity of what he's telling me is. "They are mine in the sense that I raised them, I'm the only father they know, but they didn't come from me." 

Even though I'm so angry with him for keeping his secrets, I can't help but also feel a heavy kind of melancholy for the man across from me. I can't imagine what that felt like, to know your own children were conceived in an affair— to go years without knowing the information and then finding out when you're at your lowest. 

"I went away for business one weekend, but halfway through I got a phone call from the hospital letting me know my wife had been in an accident. I flew back that night and when I got to the hospital, I was informed that the man she had been sleeping with was driving the car. She was unharmed for the most part, just a concussion and some scrapes and bruises, thank god. Jeremy, my associate and her lover, had been drinking, so there was a police report filed. When they came to speak with Lauren before she was discharged, it was written all over her— the guilt." 

"Charles, I'm so sorry." I mean those words more than he knows. He shakes his head as if that's the last thing he wanted to hear and that takes me by surprise. 

"I wasn't innocent in this. I was a terrible husband, one who didn't appreciate his family when he had it. I don't blame her for seeking comfort in someone else, I just wish it hadn't been someone I worked with, you know? Maybe then, we could've kept it private, but everyone in the entire building knows that Charles Coldwell, successful businessman and part of the one percent can't keep his wife from straying." He clears his throat while re-situating himself once more. "It follows me everywhere inside those walls."

"Does Jeremy still work with you?" A sarcastic laugh rips from his chest. 

"Absolutely not. I fired him the next week, under the pretense that he had a criminal charge against him after the accident, of course." 

"What of your sons?" I rest my elbow on the table to support my chin. 

"At first, I was still heavily involved in their life, but as time went on I fell into a very dark place. I couldn't look at them without seeing my own pain and so I started distancing myself. Maybe I'm a selfish bastard, I don't know." Charles runs a hand over the stubble along his jaw as he thinks. "It's wrong of me, to drop out of their lives without an explanation, I know that, but I guess my thought process was that it's better to do it now. They won't remember in ten years who was in their lives when they were four. It's fucking hard to do, probably the hardest thing about all of this." 

"Why couldn't you still be in their lives? You could've told them about their real father when they were old enough to understand." 

"The world is fucked enough as it is, Mia. What would they see of me? A man who resented their mother and harbored negative feelings towards her because of what she did to me. They'd grow up to hate me. That's why I said I'm a selfish bastard. I can't raise children who are going to grow up and see me the way I saw my parents. I hated them when they were together. It was such a toxic environment, I couldn't put Ben and Caleb through that, so I'll make sure they never want for anything their entire lives financially and that will be the end of my involvement." A frown forms on my face. 

"Money can't replace someone in their life who loves them. I can see that you do, Charles. They may not be yours biologically, but they can still be yours." Charles is quiet for a moment as he takes in what I'm saying. "And you can be theirs, in whatever capacity you can handle."

"It's irrelevant now. Lauren informed me that her and Jeremy have reconnected and are seeing each other. They'll know the truth when they're old enough." I don't push because I know he won't hear it, not right now when he's as deep in though as he is.

"So, what was with all of the talk of Lauren knowing what I was 'up to' with you?" I question, changing the subject to the way she had accused me in the kitchen just before I left. 

"Lauren always thinks someone's out to take advantage. She didn't come from money, so she knows what people are willing to do to obtain wealth." 

"She thought I was trying to use you for money?" I can't stop the eye roll and huff of disgust. 

"I'm well aware that you're not that kind of person, Mia." His eyes lock on mine, so full of pain, I want to reach out and console him, but I keep myself anchored to my chair. He hasn't dug himself out of the hole just yet. "Tell me what you're thinking." I ponder that for a minute. I'm not really sure what I'm thinking, it's a lot of information to take in all at once. 

"I see why you kept it to yourself, but you have to know that all I wanted was to know you." My bottom lip finds it's away between my teeth as I glance down at my untouched coffee. "I don't care about your job, or your money, none of that. I wanted to know who you are deep down and your family, Charles, that's a huge part of who you are." 

"I didn't keep it from you because I thought you would care for me any less." I raise an eyebrow, not believing a word of it. "Okay, maybe I thought you would run at the first mention of a divorce, but what woman your age wouldn't? Divorce is messy, ex-wives are _messy_." 

"My _age_ has nothing to do with it." I snap. 

"Mine does." He counter-argues with just as much ferocity. "I have a past, not a very pretty one, while you're just getting started. I didn't want to bring you down with all of my skeletons." 

"So, sabotaging us before we could even explore what this is was your answer?" That gets him to close his mouth and he stares at me with a blank expression. 

"Maybe." We sit locked in a stalemate, neither of us quite knowing what to say. 

"That's it, then. Deep down, you see my age as a problem. That's the root of all of this, isn't it? If you don't share yourself with me, you don't have to worry about getting hurt."

"I see it as an obstacle, yes, but not necessarily one that can't be overcome." Charles leans forward, his elbows resting on the table, his hands clasped under his chin. "I'll admit, it was a bit unnerving, the effect you had on me, the effect you still have." One of his hands outstretches to brush the knuckle of his first finger against the skin of my own hand. Nothing's changed, I still feel prickles of electricity from just a simple gesture such as this. "I don't want to waste our time with the negative, Mia. I want to enjoy you for as long as you'll have me in your life." 

Those words cause my breath to catch in my throat and my heart to beat a little bit faster. It's so easy for him to make me forget all of the negative. I've missed him, just being in his presence, nothing more. 

"You can't lie to me, Charles." I breathe out as my eyes scan his. "You can't hide things about you just because you think I'll consider them ugly or unworthy. It's an injustice to you as well as me." 

"Then to you, I'm an open book."


End file.
